Altered Destiny
by VenomLord
Summary: When push came to shove, Naruto was more then willing to protect those with him. To do so he would use his own fists, and lets nothing stand in his way.
1. Alter Formed

_ALTERED_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Sc-ry-ed. I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them. This is not a crossover, just a borrowing of information from one of the characters. I felt that the person reminded me of a certain blonde haired Shinobi, and decided to try a story based on it.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

Yawning loudly as he stretched on his small bed, Uzumaki Naruto slowly started his morning routine. Yawn, stretch, scratch, head to small shabby kitchen to start water to boil. Then move to the bathroom turn on his ice cold shower, and get clean while freezing. Curse the Landlord for never fixing the water heater for his apartment.

'_Stupid Landlord. When I become Hokage he'll be sorry he did this to me!'_

The young blonde slowly stepped out of his shower, shivering, and trying to dry off with one of his few towels. As he was drying he couldn't help but remember he needed to try to do his laundry to night.

'_If only it was that easy.. Stupid people never let me use the machines, even when I have enough money. I might have to go down to the river again.'_

Changing into a pair of ramen boxers, and hanging the towel around his neck, he walked to the kitchen, careful to avoid the holes in his floorboards of the house. With never having enough money to repair them, and when he did he would be charged to much, he finally decided to just forget about it, and let them stay that way.

As he reached the kitchen he noticed his water had finally started to boil, and quickly poured it into a container of instant ramen, and sat there waiting those three agonizing minutes for it to cook. While sitting there he couldn't help but think of last night. Even now he could still feel a small pain in his right arm. Thinking of the phantom pain, he reached up with his other arm and gently grabbed it.

_**Flashback**_

Naruto had finally finished cleaning up the Hokage faces, and spent the rest of the night with his Sensei, Umino Iruka. Iruka had decided to treat Naruto out to ramen as a motivator to clean up the faces quicker. It turned out to be a small mistake, as Naruto managed to eat nearly ten times as many as Iruka.

As he walked into his small apartment, he couldn't help but noticed another rock laying in what would be his living room, with another part of the window shattered. Sighing the young blonde walked over and picked the rock up to place it in a drawer of his dresser with the many others like it, not even bothering to read the note attached to it.

He never knew why the villagers acted like that, but he finally got to a point where he just stopped caring, and ignored it, putting on a smile so that they never see him cry or sad. Even around Iruka and Old man Hokage.

As he was walking towards his bedroom a sudden jolt of pain raced up his right arm sending him crashing down to the floor.

He tried to bring his other arm to cradle the right, but the pain stopped him, causing him to fall back to the floor, bringing out fresh tears of pain.

'_KUSO! What is this. It hurts so much. What is going on..'_

Despite the pain, he managed to crawl his way onto his bed, and lay there, wincing in pain every so often, never knowing what was causing it. All he knew was that he had never felt anything like it before. Try as he might, he could not hold back the tears that it brought to him. The pain was unbearable, he felt as if the pain was enough to kill him.

Slowly the pain started to spread throughout the arm. Starting at the right shoulder blade, and traveling down the length of the entire appendage. Each minute that passed a new wave hit him. Finally after who knows how long, Naruto passed out from the pain on his bed, the entire time crying into his mattress.

_**Present**_

Naruto shook himself out of his thoughts, and turned his attention back to his noodles which were now ready. Grabbing his favorite chop sticks he wasted little time in finishing them off, and tossing the carton into a pile with the rest. After making a mental note to take the garbage out, he went to his room to change into what ever he could find to wear.

"ARGH! Just my luck, my last jumpsuit is dirty.. I don't know if I have anything else to wear. Just great."

After yelling this he quickly looked through his drawers, and closet to try to find something clean to wear, and finally managed to find a few clean clothes. Sighing, Naruto dressed in a white t-shirt with small flames like designs that curled around each other on his shoulders, chest and back. He sat down on his bed as he pulled on a pair of orange shorts, that used to be one of his jumpsuits, but had some of the legs torn off.

Finally he finished it all off with putting on an orange vest jacket that had the sleeves torn off of it, and left the thing halfway zipped as he walked over to his dresser and put on one of his only true possessions. He never knew where they came from, but he still liked them. It was one of the only things he was ever given on his birthday. A pair of green goggles that would shield his eyes, as well as the bridge of his nose.

As he walked out of the room he caught a glimpse of his calendar and noticed the date.

"OH MAN! Today is the day of the test!", he quickly looked towards his alarm clock and noticed the numbers flashing, **_12:00_**. Not wasting time, he quickly ran out the door and noticed the sun about halfway across the sky, and only one thing came to his mind

"ARGH! I'm late!", after that he quickly took off across the roof tops heading towards the Shinobi academy.

_**Konoha Shinobi Academy, Room 201**_

Umino Iruka was enjoying his day so far. Last night he had ramen with one of his favorite students, though he regretted the choice of ramen for dinner. He always enjoyed spending time with Naruto, even though the boy could be a trouble maker, Iruka knew he was only doing it to try to get attention. After all, he had done the very same thing when he was Naruto's age.

Now today was the day that many of his students would advance to become a Genin of Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village. Some would continue on through the ranks and become Chunin, Jonin, and maybe even ANBU. Perhaps one day one would even reach the title of Hokage. But first they had to pass the test today, and then the test that their Jonin Sensei may give them.

Out of everyone present today in his class there was one missing that he knew would never miss this day. Uzumaki Naruto. He had tried the previous two years to pass, and yet always failed. The last two tests were always the one skill that Naruto had the hardest time with, the **Bunshin no Jutsu. **This year though might be different. He had seen Naruto practicing the technique, and from what he could tell, it looked like he would be able to pass if the exam was the same as previous years.

No one ever knew what the exams would be until the day of the exam. Each year when it came to exam time the Council and Hokage would gather to discuss what they felt should be performed, then it would be sealed and locked away so that no one would know until the instructor opened the sealed scroll in front of the class. This way things would be fair for all students involved, or so it should be. Iruka had a feeling that things were not always fair after hearing some stories.

Now the class was halfway through with the exam, with only a few students left to take it. Thankfully he had yet to call Naruto's name, since they went in alphabetical order Naruto would the second to last person to take it. Still though, there were only two others before Naruto was supposed to perform.

Sighing, he continued with calling out the next person, "Nara Shikamaru, please come down and follow me to the exam room.".

Groaning, Shikamaru slowly woke up from his nap and walked down to follow his Sensei to the room, the whole time mumbling something no one was able to make out.

It didn't take long for Iruka to come back into the room, and call for the next student, "Uchiha Sasuke, please follow me.". After calling the name Iruka took another look around, hoping to see an orange clad boy with messy blonde hair sitting there waiting for his turn. Seeing nothing of the sort, he sighed once again and left the room with the lone Uchiha of Konoha following him. This left only one other person in the room, Yamanaka Ino. Who decided to busy herself by day dreaming of her dream boat, Sasuke.

Once again it felt like things were moving all too fast for Iruka as he started to make his way back towards the classroom. He tried to pace himself slowly, as to leave as much time as possible for Naruto to make it, yet he still found himself in front of room **201** for his liking. Sighing, he slid the door open, and walked in, looking towards the back in hopes of seeing a splash of orange.

Not seeing anything, he started doing what he feared. "Uzumaki Naruto", he called out, and waited several seconds before doing so ago. "Uzumaki Naruto, second call.". Still nothing.

Finally he called one last time, "Uzumaki Naruto, this is your final call. Come forward now, or you will fail this year's exam!".

Hearing nothing he started to slowly cross the name off of his list. Right when the pen was about to run through the "U", the door flew open and in came running the blue eyed, blonde haired boy known by many as Uzumaki Naruto.

"I'm here, I'm here! Sorry I'm late Sensei!".

"Naruto! You barely made it in time, follow me to the exam room.", as he started on the way out, he could hear the sound of Ino laughing at Naruto as he slowly made his way out of the room.

"So tell me Naruto, why were you late this time?", asked Iruka as he walked down the hall towards the room, and glared at his pupil.

"Uh.. I think my apartment lost power last night or something.. I mean even my heater wasn't working. Not that much has ever worked in that stupid place to begin with", Iruka heard the first part, but the last parts came out as nothing more then a whisper that he couldn't pick up.

"Naruto, how many times have I told you to quit depending on that old thing? Get a real clock, that way you don't need power to tell time or anything. I almost failed you because you were not here on time."

"Hai Hai.. I will when I can Iruka-sensei. It's just that I've had other things to take care of first.." trailed off Naruto.

"Still though, as important as becoming a Shinobi is to you, I would think you would put a little more effort into being on time. Well, here we are Naruto, good luck.", spoke Iruka as he opened the door for Naruto, and followed him in.

After closing the door to the room, Iruka took a seat at the front of the room beside another teacher at the Academy, Mizuki. After Iruka took his seat, Mizuki spoke up finally.

"Alright Naruto, this year's exam requires you to perform the **Bunshin no Jutsu**, and create three different Bunshins that could be used in a fight."

'_ARGH! I hate this one! It's a good thing I've been practicing it since last year. This time I will become a Shinobi!'_

Nodding to indicate he understood, Naruto took his place in front of the teachers, and got ready to perform the **Bunshin no Jutsu**. Taking a deep breathe he spread out his legs, and started to concentrate so that he could generate the needed Chakra. Slowly blue light started to circle around Naruto as he focused. All was going well until something started to cause the Chakra to flicker.

'_Ah! No, not now.. Stupid arm, quit hurting!'_, yelled Naruto in his mind. The pain in his right arm had come back, this time it was more painful then it was the previous night. Grinding his teeth he tried to fight the pain and perform the Jutsu.

Iruka noticed that Naruto seemed to be in some kind of pain, yet could see nothing to cause it. He sat there holding his breathe, hoping Naruto would finally pass this time.

With more then a little force, Naruto yelled out, **"Bunshin no Jutsu!"**, generating a large cloud of smoke around him, concealing him from the eyes of Iruka and Mizuki.

Iruka could hear coughing coming from inside of the smoke cloud, as well as a few cries of pain. He gripped the desk, fighting the urge to run in and check on Naruto. After several seconds the smoke finally started to clear, and revealed Naruto, and a single clone.

Said clone was bellow down on the floor, with all of his colors several shades lighter then the originals. It looked pale, and sickly, almost as if it was about to die itself. Naruto, upon seeing the clone yelled out in dismay. "NO! I can't believe it!"

Dropping his head, Iruka stood up to speak. "I'm sorry Naruto, but you fail. You will have to try again next year.". This caused more then a little fear and anger in Naruto, who was still trying to fight back the pain in his arm.

"NO! Iruka-sensei, please let me try again! I promise I can perform the technique. It's just that something happened that distracted me. Please, give me one more chance!"

"You know Iruka, he did perform the technique, and it could be useable in a fight if the enemy wasn't paying attention. We should give him another try, after all it is obvious something is bothering him.", spoke up Mizuki as he looked on Naruto with pity in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Mizuki-sensei, Naruto. Each student is only allowed once chance, unless given an excuse from parents, the council, or the Hokage. While he did perform the Jutsu, it would never be useable in a battle. You can never depend upon the enemy not paying attention to something like this.". stated Iruka with a hint of remorse in his voice.

When a final look at both of his Senseis, Naruto hung his head down, and ran from the room, the whole time gripping his right shoulder as he ran outside of the Academy to his favorite spot in the yards.

Once outside he sat against his favorite tree as he held his shoulder, and tried to fight back the tears of pain and sadness.

'_Kuso. Why can't they give me another chance. It's not like it is my fault that my arm started hurting for no reason, AGAIN! It's just not fair. I tried so hard this time, and it was all for nothing. Maybe I should give up on being a Shinobi, and find something else to do.'_

Naruto continued his inner debate as he watched students get picked up and congratulated by their parents. Every so often snippets of conversation would drift over to him.

"Look Dad, I graduated! Now I'll be a Ninja just like you!"

"That's great son! Wait till your mom hears this, she will be so happy."

"Look mom, they called me first and I passed easily!"

"That's my boy, tonight we will have a special dinner, and party for your graduation."

"Look, it's THAT boy. I heard he was the only one who didn't pass."

"Yeah. Good though, could you imagine what would happen if he passed. He could destroy the entire village."

"I know. I don't know why they let that de.."

"Hush, you know we are not supposed to say that in public. Let's just be glad he didn't pass. Maybe now he will leave or something."

Naruto was too caught up in his own pain, as well as hearing the comments from the families, that he never noticed Mizuki walk up beside him.

"Hey Naruto, tough break huh? But you know, if you want a second chance, all you have to do is come with me.", whispered Mizuki to Naruto.

Surprised, Naruto looked up at him, and noticed he had already started to walk away. Slowly he dragged himself up from the tree and started to follow his Sensei.

The entire time he never noticed and Indigo haired, pale eyed girl watching him from the crowd, and move to follow and Mizuki. As she followed she couldn't help but think about her crush.

'_Naruto-kun.. I feel bad you didn't pass. You worked so hard, and yet you still fail. But you never give up. You deserve this more then I do.'_

_**Several hours later**_

Naruto had finally gotten into the tower, and followed the instructions given to him by Mizuki. He slowly made his way down the hall, and towards the office of the Hokage. Finally making it to the Hokage's doors, he eased one open, and slipped inside. Once in, he made his way to the near corner, and thought everything would go off with out a hitch when the lights in the room suddenly turned on.

"Naruto, what are you doing in here this late?", came the voice of the old Hokage, Sarutobi.

Sarutobi, or the Sandaime Hokage, as he was also known, was like a grandfather to Naruto. He was always willing to listen to Naruto, and checking in on him to make sure things were okay. Sure Naruto never let him in his apartment, because if he did then he would see how bad it was. One thing Naruto would never take from anyone was pity. He hated being pitied by people. He never asked for it, and he would never take it. The Hokage knew this, and would always try little things to make him happy. Taking him out to eat ramen, a birthday gift every year, and someone to talk to helped. They were never done out of pity as far as Naruto was concerned.

"Ojii-san.. Fancy meeting you here. Um, I was just looking for something…"

"Well it's late Naruto, shouldn't you be at home in bed? Nothing could be that important, at least not important enough to break into my office this late."

Grumbling to himself Naruto got ready to perform one of his newest techniques. One that would guarantee to knock out the old Hokage, by working on his only weakness. Sexy young ladies with very little clothing, in another words, his perversion.

With a grin that unnerved the Hokage, and a flash of Chakra, Naruto called out his jutsu.

"**Oiroke no Jutsu!"**

In a brief flash of light, and cloud of smoke later, a young blonde woman, with whisker marks on her cheeks could be seen posing. She only had trails of smoke covering up her "assets", and was bent forward, with a hand raised to her lips as she blew a kiss to the Hokage. "Ojii-sama, won't you ppplease let me go?"

As she said this the Hokage was thrown backwards by a shower of blood flying from his nose, sending him crashing into the opposite wall, and knocking him briefly unconscious.

With a brief thought another cloud of smoke appeared revealing a grinning Naruto. "**Oiroke no Jutsu** is a success!"

With that he quickly moved to the vault room in the Hokage's office, and grabbed as scroll that was as long as he his tall. Checking it to see if it was the correct one, he quickly hung it on his shoulders, and left the tower the same way he snuck in.

_**Umino Iruka's home**_

Iruka was laying down on his bed thinking of the talk he had with the Hokage earlier that day. Not much of it was new information, but parts of it still stuck in his mind.

_**Flashback**_

The Hokage and Iruka were standing outside the doors to the Academy, each watching and smiling at the faces shown by parents and children alike. Each smiling and cheering that they had passed. Sadly, the topic of their current line of conversation was anything but one to bring a smile to their face.

"Iruka, I heard Naruto failed again."

"Hai. I don't know what happened this time either. I know he could do it, and there is no way he would play around for something like this. But for some reason half-way through the Jutsu something happened. What ever it was, it was causing Naruto a great deal of pain, and caused him to perform the Jutsu poorly."

"Pain? Did he say what kind or anything?"

"No. but it looked like it was his right shoulder and arm. As he was leaving I saw him holding onto it, and fighting bad tears. If you want to see, he is probably over by his tree."

"Hm.. That is strange.. I'll have to try to check in on him and make sure everything is okay. It seems though he decided to head home early", stated the Hokage as he looked over towards the tree and saw no trace of Naruto.

"I feel bad though.. He worked so hard for this. I wish I could have given him another chance. But if I did.."

"I know Iruka. But don't worry, Naruto is strong, he will not let this change his mind on anything. After all, we both know how stubborn that boy could be."

_**Present**_

"Naruto.. I'm sorry. I know how you must feel. We both have so much in common that it hurts to see you like this. If only I could tell you why you are treated the way you are. Maybe then things would be easier on you."

Iruka was shaken out of his thoughts by a pounding on his door. Quickly rolling out of bed, dressed only in black pants and shirt, he ran to the door to answer it. He quickly swung the door open to reveal a distressed Mizuki.

"Yes?"

"Iruka-sensei! Get up, and come to the Hokage's! It's an emergency! They are calling on all Jonin and Chunin."

"What! What's wrong?"

"It's Naruto! He's stolen the Forbidden Scroll!"

"No.. Naruto why would you steal the Forbidden Scroll Alright, I'll be there quickly, let me get dressed."

After quickly getting dressed Iruka wasted no time in getting to the meeting. As he got there he saw many Shinobi gather outside in front of the Hokage. He stayed to the back, in hopes of being able to leave quickly and search for Naruto. While standing there he heard many shouts of things that made him worry for his student.

"We Should have killed him when we had the chance!"

"If he has the Forbidden Scroll, he could destroy us all!"

"How did he get the scroll made by the Shodai Hokage!

"Silence!", came the shout from the Hokage as he stood in front of the gather Shinobi. Once everyone had quieted down, he continued.

"I gathered you all here because the Forbidden Scroll of Seals has been stolen. I do not know for what reason, but Uzumaki Naruto has taken it, and run. I want all of you to find him and bring him back with the scroll. He is to be brought back ALIVE, and in one piece. He is not to be harmed. Now GO!"

With that final shout, all the gathered Shinobi vanished in a gust of wind and went in search of the young boy.

Iruka quickly started to jump from building to building, all in search of Naruto. He checked his apartment in hopes of finding him napping. He checked every place he has ever found Naruto inside of the village, only to come up with nothing. Sighing in defeat he stopped on a small chimney, and looked out upon the city.

'_Naruto, where could you be.'_

Standing there he ran through a list of places in his mind. He had checked every one of them and found nothing. If he couldn't find him then the odds of someone else doing so were slim to none.

It was when he looked out of Konoha, and towards the forest that surround it that something came back to him.

'_That shack.. I found him there once after he rigged the entire school with traps. If he isn't in the village, then he has to be there.'_

He quickly left his perch, and took off towards the forest. The entire time he never noticed another figure following right behind him.

_**Somewhere in the Forest of Konoha**_

To say Naruto was happy would be an understatement. Everything had gone as planned. The only problem he had run into was the Hokage being in the office, but that was dealt with easily enough.

Now he was in the woods at one of his best hiding places, and was about to start reading the scroll to learn the one Jutsu needed to pass, as Mizuki-sensei had told him.

Sitting down with a loud thump, and removing the scroll from his back, he quickly pulled it open and started to read.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** that should be easy enough, I can do the regular **Bunshin** after all."

With that he went through the steps to learning the Jutsu. Oddly enough, it felt easier for him to perform then the regular **Bunshin**, and so he was able to perform it within the first thirty minutes of trying. With that he moved on to the next one listed.

"**Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**, ARGH! This one is just as easy, just needs more Chakra added to it.. So let's go to the next one. **Bunshin Daibakuha**, hm, what else says it say. "This Jutsu is best used in conjunction with the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**, when performed correctly it allows the user to cause the **Bunshin** to explode upon command, possibly injuring or killing those that are caught in the blast.""

Nodding his head at the sound of that, he started to work on the newest Jutsu. As he was working on it, he noticed that the more Chakra put into it, the larger the explosion. If he wanted a smaller one, he only had to hold back on the Chakra put into the Jutsu.

After an hour, and several mishaps, burns, cuts, and nearly impaling himself on a tree branch, he finally got the Jutsu down.

Sighing as he finished he flopped down on the ground, and leaned against the tree he was near. He reached over towards the scroll that was laying next to him, and looked at what the next technique was.

"**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**, similar to the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**, but performed with shuriken instead of an actual body. The user normally throws one shuriken, and performs the Jutsu to create multiple copies, thus making the attack more deadly. It can how ever be formed with more then one shuriken being thrown. Also, in place of a shuriken, one could use kunai, or other forms of throwing weapons. If done like so, the Jutsu would still be the same. The concept of the **Kage Bunshin** Jutsus are all very similar.

"The reason many of them are listed inside of this scroll is because of the chances of causing Chakra depletion of the user, and thus killing them. This is because the Jutsus are more powerful with larger amounts of Chakra put into them. The Chakra put into each Kage Jutsu is used to create an actual body, which enables them to do much more then regular **Bunshins. **When performing these, be sure you are not low on Chakra.

"As such, it should be noted that users of these Jutsus normally have an excess amount of Chakra and Stamina, which allows them to perform these in succession, or call upon large and greater results." Great, another one, but it should be worth it I guess."

With that thought he went into using this one as well. It took little time for him to get the hang of it due to it being extremely similar to the previous Jutsus.

The entire time he was practicing he never noticed the form of Hyuga Hinata watching from the safety of the tree line, with new looks of admiration coming to her face with each Jutsu he performed in front of her.

Both youths were so caught up in what they were doing that neither noticed the form of Iruka settle down in the clearing in front of Naruto.

"NA-RU-TO! What do you think you are doing, stealing the Forbidden Scroll! Do you have any idea the trouble you are in!", yelled Iruka once in front of Naruto.

"Hey Iruka-sensei! I did it! I did it! I learned four new Jutsus from the scroll! That means I pass right!"

'_He was out here practicing Jutsus from the scroll? He really has been practicing though, I can tell by the looks of him and the clearing. But where did he hear such a thing?'_

"Naruto, who told you that?"

"Mizuki-sensei told me earlier. He said if I learned a Jutsu from this scroll, I could pass and become a Genin!"

"What?", as Iruka started to say this, he heard the sounds of multiple objects being thrown from behind him. He quickly pushed Naruto out of the way, and off to the side of the shack they were in front of. As he did he turned and crossed his arms in front of his face and chest, in hopes of blocking any major damage to those areas.

Naruto looked on as kunai and shuriken flew into Iruka, pinning him to the wall, and pulling out a shout of pain from his teacher. Turning to where the objects came from, Naruto noticed Mizuki standing in a tree at the edge of the clearing, with two giant shuriken strapped to his back.

"I suppose I should thank you Iruka, if it wasn't for you, I would have never found Naruto."

"Mizuki! What's the meaning of this!", yelled out Iruka, biting back a cry of pain. He slowly started to pull the steel objects from his body, while keeping on eye on Mizuki.

"Isn't it obvious Iruka? Now Naruto, give me the scroll, and maybe.."

"NO! Naruto, what ever you do, do not give him that scroll!"

"Naruto, don't listen to Iruka, all he has ever done is lie to you. Tell me Naruto, have you ever felt like you were never told something that you should know?"

Iruka was stunned. He knew what Mizuki was speaking of, and could only imagine what it would do to Naruto if he heard it.

Naruto only looked back and forth between his two Sensei, wondering what was going on. On one hand was Iruka-sensei, who he knew some what. He looked up to him as a father, or maybe even a big brother. Sure he was tough, but he tried to make sure Naruto was okay.

On the other side was Mizuki-sensei. He didn't know much about him, but he couldn't help but feel like what ever he was saying right now held some great importance to him. It was something he just had to know. Naruto was quickly brought out of his contemplation by the voice of Iruka.

"NO Mizuki! You know the law! We can't speak of that!"

Unsure of what else to say, he voiced the only thing he could, "What! What is it!"

Grinning at Naruto taking the bait, he slowly started to explain.

"You see Naruto, everyone in the village hates you, even Iruka. You see twelve years ago the demon fox Kyubi attacked. When it did it killed many Shinobi of the Leaf, including the parents of Iruka. Because of that he, as well as many of the other villagers hate Kyubi."

"Mizuki don't!"

"See, even now he tries to hide this from you Naruto. He and the rest of the villager don't want you to know this."

"K-know what?", asked the dumb founded Naruto, as he wondered where this was going.

Behind him in the bushes Hinata was wondering the same thing while trying to stay hidden. But she too wanted to know why they hated Naruto, why did many of the adults glare at him for no reason.

They don't want you to know… That YOU ARE THE DEMON FOX, KYUBI!", yelled Mizuki, causing Naruto to stare, and Iruka to hang his head. Hinata was as shocked as Naruto, unsure of what to think at this revelation.

"No! The Yondaime killed the Kyubi!", shouted Naruto in disbelief. Yet some how, it all seemed to be true. The looks, the words, the threats. It all started to make sense with this news.

"If only he could, then I would not have to kill you now. Think about it Naruto. Haven't you wondered by you were never accepted here? Why you are hated? It's because YOU ARE THE NINE TAILED FOX! So when I kill you and take the scroll, no one will blame me! Now, prepare TO DIE NARUTO!", yelled Mizuki as he removed a shuriken from his back, and threw it towards Naruto. Naruto couldn't help but stand there, still too shocked from the news he was just given.

"Naruto no!", yelled out Iruka as he jumped in front of Naruto, and leaned over him to take the shuriken in the back. Naruto, who had closed his eyes in hopes of not seeing the blade bite into him, slowly opened them as he felt some wet fall upon his cheeks. Opening his eyes, and reaching a hand to his cheek he found blood dripping down upon him from above.

Seeing this, his eyes widened and he looked up to see Iruka with the shuriken stuck inches into the back of his sensei.

"Iruka-sensei…"

"Naruto, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you.. I wanted to.. But I was never sure how you would react.. Not only that but we were all forbidden to tell you this..", trailing off, Iruka coughed up more blood, that splashed onto Naruto.

"Quit lying Iruka! You know you hate him! Naruto, you know Iruka is an orphan, just like you. It's because YOU KILLED THEM when you attacked twelve years again! He hates you just like the rest of the village! You are the beast that destroyed his family, and the family of others"

Hearing this, Naruto slowly raised his head to look into the face of Iruka. When he did he could see the pained expression on it. It wasn't one of physical pain, it was one of emotional, and mental. Looking into Iruka's eyes he could see how much it hurt him to hear this.

"N-Naruto.. I've never hated you.. Yes I was mad, but not at you, at the Kyubi. You see I don't see you like the others. **cough** You are just a young man, who had a great burden placed on you. **cough cough** Please Naruto.. You have to believe me. The only reason you were never told, and the others your age were never told was because Sandaime wanted to give you a chance to have a normal life. To make friends, and enough yourself.."

Naruto could only look on as his sensei pleaded with him. He watched as the emotions played across Iruka's face.

"Iruka-sensei.. I.."

"Enough! Time for both of you to die!", interrupted Mizuki as he removed his second shuriken, unleashed it in the direction of Naruto and Iruka.

Naruto unable to see it, and Iruka unable to move much without spasms of pain hitting him, just stood there.

Both were shocked when they heard a shout of, "NARUTO-KUN!", come from behind them. This caused Iruka to look up and see the form of Hinata come running towards them in hopes of stopping the object from slicing both in two.

That was all it took to shake Naruto from his stupor. He quickly threw Iruka off of him, and braced himself for the giant shuriken with his arms blocking his face. Iruka looked on in horror as the shuriken slammed into Naruto's right arm, piercing through it, and throwing Naruto down to the ground.

Hinata stopped in shock, and looked at the bleeding form of Naruto on the ground.

Mizuki looked up from where he was and noticed the Hyuga heiress standing in the clearing and started to smile evilly.

"So, the Hyuga Heiress is here as well. I'm sure I could get a nice price for you from the Raikage. It looks like I get to destroy the Kyubi, the Scroll of Sealing, and the Byakugan all in the same night. Sorry Iruka, but I'm going to have to kill you…."

"NO! Stay away from them!", shouted Naruto as he struggled to stand and pull the shuriken from his arm.

"Oh? And what will you do if I don't? I could kill you in a single move.", replied Mizuki to the threat.

"I'll defend them with my own two hands! You will never lay a hand on them!", as he shouted this out, the pain from the previous night came back ten fold. "ARGH!", yelled Naruto as it hit him, causing Iruka and Hinata to both turn towards him worried.

"Naruto!" "Naruto-kun!", they both shouted at the same time.

As they watched Naruto he grabbed his right arm once again. They watched in fascination as a strange light started to glow around the area. A strange blue, green, and white danced around the clearing. As sudden as it started, chunks of earth, and parts of the shack started to vanish. Slowly the light started to concentrate on Naruto's right arm.

Yelling in pain, Naruto's arm started to split into three pieces while still attached to him. The first contained his thumb and pointer finger, the second his middle finger, and the last his ring and pinky. The pieces ran all the ran from his knuckles up to his shoulder.

In flashes of light his arm started to separate, leaving more of the glowing light in between the parts. Then they started to come back together, each part as red as the muscle inside of the arm. After they reformed, bands of gold came around the arm, as if holding them together. By now his hand had changed, the fingers were red, with bands of gold and silver running across the top of his hand, and wrapping around it.

His fingers looked more mechanical then biological, and flexed as if testing themselves. Slowly more gold material started to appear on his forearm, with two parts forming, then closing in on it, and concealing what looking like spikes inside. Slowly more of the strange armor appeared and started to enclose more of his right arm, all the way up to his shoulder.

Once his arm was fully incased in the new metal armor, three strange fins started to form on his shoulder blade, each one larger then the one before the previous. It was once these fins appeared and formed that the light stopped, and showed Naruto with an armored right arm, looking as stunned as the others inside the small clearing.

"What is that!" I don't know what kind of Jutsu you used, it won't be enough to save you from me!", shouted Mizuki as he started to run towards Naruto while drawing a kunai from his pouch.

Naruto stood there, clenching and unclenching his hand, testing it. He felt stronger, almost as if a new found power had found it's way to him. He watched his hand as he worked it, and slowly turned his gaze towards the charging Mizuki.

"I'll never let you hurt Hinata or Iruka-Sensei!", challenged Naruto as he ran towards his former Sensei with his new arms cocked back.

As the two grew closer Naruto swung his fist forward at the same time Mizuki swung his kunai down. The two struck sending sparks flying into the night sky. As the kunai struck the armor of Naruto's arm it sparked on contact, then snapped from lack of a place to go.

Mizuki jumped back as he looked down at his broken kunai, then at Naruto. With an evil glint in his eye he started to perform a set of seals.

Naruto didn't wait for the seals to finish as he charged forwards, with only the thought of protecting Iruka and Hinata in his mind. As he charged forwards something strange started to happened to the first, and smallest fin on his back. It started to slowly deteriorate, in a flash of the same light as before, Naruto was propelled forward at an incredible speed. The armor at his forearm opened, and small spikes came out.

Mizuki was taken by surprise as Naruto flew at him. He never had a chance to move, or finish his Jutsu as Naruto's armor encased fist came crashing into his chest, sending him flying back in an explosion of energy.

As Naruto hit Mizuki and explosion occurred, sending debris flying around the clearing, and knocking Hinata down upon Iruka, who turned to protect her from the debris.

Coughing, Mizuki slowly started to stand once again, but this time on unsteady legs.

"Nice Jutsu you have there Kyubi, but it is going to take more then that to beat me!"

"Anything you send at me, Hinata, or Iruka-sensei, I'll pay back ten fold!", after that declaration Naruto quickly started to do something that shocked everyone present. With his left hand, he started to form one handed seals, ending upon one slightly cross shaped one while calling out, "**Taju Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"**.

The clearing started to suddenly fill up with Naruto clones, each with an armored encased arm, and each glaring dagger at Mizuki who started to laugh nervously.

Iruka watched on in wonder.

'_Those aren't just any _**Bunshins,**_ they are actual bodies!'_

Hinata almost felt like she was dreaming seeing so many Narutos in the clearing surrounding them. She was quickly snapped out of her daydream when she heard Naruto's voice calling towards her.

"Hinata! Take Iruka-sensei and run! Things are about to get crazy. HURRY!". That was all it took to get Hinata to pull Iruka up, and start to carry him away. As she went she silently activated her **Byakugan** so that she could watch the battle about to start. She was stunned when she saw more and more Chakra being pumped into the different Narutos in the clearing. That was when she realized what he was about to do.

Once she realized this, she quickly found a place to sit and hide form the soon to come explosion. She decided upon a large old pine that looked to have recently fallen, once behind it she waited.

"Hinata, what are you doing. We can't leave Naruto there!", came from Iruka as they settled in.

"I-Iruka-sensei, I-I think it-it is b-best we do wh-what he says.", Iruka looked on at her confused at first, that was when he heard the first of many large explosions.

In the clearing Mizuki was still looking around at the group of shadow clones, and was trying to figure out how to get out alive when he suddenly felt a massive amount of Chakra start to gather. He looked at each clone and then it suddenly hit it.

'_He knows _**Bunshin Daibakuha!**_'_

That was his last thought as the clones all charged towards him, and one by one started to explode. With each explosion other clones would exploder until the entire clearing was nothing but one large crater with the body of Mizuki laying in the middle, with barely any life left in him.

_**Hokage Tower**_

Sarutobi was no fool, after sending the Shinobi out to search for Naruto, he went to his office, and into a side room where he could perform the **Tomegane no Jutsu**. Once done he saw Naruto in the forest and reading the scroll. He watched on as Naruto started to perform the different **Kage Bunshin** based Jutsus. He couldn't help but smile at Naruto's work. Very few would be able to do what Naruto is doing after all.

He also watched on as Iruka, and then Mizuki confronted Naruto. He began to worry as Mizuki spilled the beans about Naruto's past.

"That Mizuki sure has a big mouth..", was one of the few comments he made during this time.

He watched again as Mizuki threw his second shuriken. Sarutobi started to sweat at this. Naruto wasn't moving, and Iruka was in no shape to do anything. He was shocked when Hyuga Hinata came into the picture, and he saw the look in Mizuki's eyes.

"This does not look good for those three…"

What surprised him the most was what happened next. After taking the shuriken in the arm, Naruto stood up and declared something. Shortly after that his globe filled with a green light that he had only seen once before.

'_So, he has finally woke his Bloodline limit. I knew it would be happening soon from what Iruka told me.. What an interesting form it decided to take though. It matches Naruto perfectly, always willing to let his fists talk before his mouth.'_

He grinned as Naruto released one of the fins to his new found power and sent Iruka flying across the clearing. Then he saw Naruto say something to Hinata and Iruka, sending them running shortly after Naruto created hundreds of **Kage Bunshins**. When he saw Naruto jump back into the forest, he had a feeling of what was about to happen.

The feeling was confirmed when each of the **Bunshins** started to explode, bouncing Mizuki around like a pinball until eventually none were left, and Mizuki was left laying in a crater.

After watching a few more minutes, Sarutobi slowly started to walk outside to call off the search. He was proud of Naruto today, he took the news far better then any thought he would have. Not only that but he found out one of his birthrights, as well as possibly made a friend he could confide in. But only time would tell how that would finally turn out.

**AN:**

Well here is my latest story. Updates may be slow, since I have another going, so please don't get to hostile with me. This is not a real crossover, just be using the idea of the Alter for Kazuma on Naruto. They both remind me of each other in ways.

I decided to give Naruto a Bloodline Limit in this story, but wanted to do something different then the others. I have no idea how mabny times I've seen him get a doujutsu, or some how related to the Uchiha. I thought this one would be something new, and tried it out. I tried to describe the form as best as possible, but I might have done it poorly, if so, please excuse me.

**Jutsu:**

**Bunshin no Jutsu/ Clone Technique: **This technique creates a clone of the user, but it is an illusion, not a real copy like the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu/ Shadow Clone Technique**. The illusions will dissipate when they come into contact with anything. The illusions can be seen through by the **Byakugan** and the **Sharingan.** To these kekkei genkai, the clones look like balls of chakra. Also, a person with normal eyes can distinguish clones from the original if they watch very carefully.

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu/Shadow Clone Technique: **Unlike the normal **Bunshin no Jutsu/ Clone Technique**, this jutsu creates actual clones of the user. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, which can be dangerous if the user is low on chakra or makes too many clones, such as Naruto does with with **Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu/ Multiple Shadow Clone Technique**, this jutsu's enhanced form.

Like other clones, they can perform jutsu and cause damage to their target. The clones will disperse when enough damage has been done. Unlike other clones, they can't be detected by the **Byakugan** because the clones have the exact same amount of chakra and aren't made of any other material, making them indistinguishable from the genuine article. The **Sharingan**, however, can tell the difference, likely through an application of its analytical properties and attention to detail.

**Bunshin Daibakuha/Clone Great Explosion: **This jutsu works in combination with the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu/ Shadow Clone Technique**, and creates a shadow clone that will explode on command, potentially killing or injuring those caught in the blast.

All information for Jutsus was taken form Wikipedia.


	2. Family and Friends

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Naruto_, or s-_CRY-ed_. I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

Previously:

'_So, his Bloodline limit has finally awaked. I knew it would be happening soon from what Iruka told me. What an interesting form it decided to take though. It matches Naruto perfectly, always willing to let his fists talk before his mouth.'_

He grinned as Naruto released one of the fins to his new found power and sent Iruka flying across the clearing. Then he saw Naruto say something to Hinata and Iruka, sending them running shortly after Naruto created hundreds of **Kage Bunshins**. When he saw Naruto jump back into the forest, he had a feeling of what was about to happen.

The feeling was confirmed when each of the **Bunshins** started to explode, bouncing Mizuki around like a pinball until eventually none were left, and Mizuki was left laying in a crater.

After watching a few more minutes, Sarutobi slowly started to walk outside to call off the search. He was proud of Naruto today; he took the news far better then any thought he would have. Not only that but he found out one of his birthrights, as well as possibly made a friend he could confide in. But then again, only time would tell how that would finally turn out for Naruto

**Allies or Foes, Genin Teams Announced!**

_**Konoha Forest**_

Iruka had no idea what had just happened, or what that strange armored arm of Naruto's was, but after the huge explosions, he knew he had to check on him. Straining to stand up from beside Hinata, he slowly inched his way back to where they had left Naruto. He didn't get far before Hinata was by his side once again, acting as support to help him walk.

After several minutes of climbing, as well as several more of stumbling and falling over uprooted trees, and broken branches the duo made it back to the clearing where the fight occurred. The only problem was the crater that had to be nearly ten feet deep, and spanned the entire clearing with Mizuki lying in the center.

Hinata and Iruka both stared at the massive amounts of damage done by Naruto.

'_Naruto, Just what in the world did you do to Mizuki?'_

'_Naruto-kun, I hope you are okay.'_

Both were pulled from their thoughts as they could hear coughing coming from behind them in the trees.

Iruka could feel Hinata tense underneath his weight, and both looked towards the sound, waiting for the owner to reveal themselves.

After several minutes a clump of blonde hair with twigs and dirt hanging from it could be seen making its way out from behind some of the recently upturned foliage. It wasn't long after that that the form of one Uzumaki Naruto came stumbling out to them.

"Naruto!" "Naruto-kun!" shouted both as they went to Naruto's side. With Hinata setting Iruka down, she gently did the same to Naruto. Once he was down it didn't take long for both to notice he still had that same armor encased right arm and two fins on his back.

"Naruto… What happened? What did you do? What is that strange armor on your arm?" asked the confused teacher, while he carefully checked Naruto over for injuries.

Hinata was doing the same, but with more distance. As her shy nature made a return seeing he was now okay, and a severely torn wardrobe revealing a well toned, and tanned body.

Naruto sat there on the tree they were using as chairs. He leaned forward, with his arms resting against his legs, with his head hung down low so that no one could see his face.

"Iruka-sensei… It's all true isn't it? The Kyubi no Youki was sealed in me by the Yondaime? That's why every one hates me isn't it? Why the villagers hate me. Why the attacked me. Why I could never play with the others. It's why you probably hate me too, right Sensei? I'm a monster…" As Naruto was speaking, Iruka could see his shoulder shaking as the boy tried to restrain the building tears.

Iruka just stared at Naruto, shocked at what he said. He was about to speak when suddenly a soft gentle voice spoke before him.

"No Naruto-kun. Not everyone hates y-you. Some of us care f-for you, even now. Iruka-sensei would never have t-taken those shuriken and k-kunai if he hated you. I w-wouldn't be here now if I hated you, or if I was afraid of y-you, Naruto-kun. No, t-to me you were, or w-will never be an m-monster. I t-think you are a Hero, just like Y-Yondaime-sama would have wanted." With each word coming out of her mouth, Hinata had taken a step forward until she was in front of Naruto. As she ended, she gently cupped his larger hands inside of her smaller ones.

"You know Naruto, she's right. If I hated you, I would never have taken you out to ramen all those times, or come here looking for you. I would have just looked at you the same way as everyone else. But here I am, with the wounds to prove I care about you. You are almost like family to me, like the Otouto (little brother) I never had, but always wanted." Hearing these words shocked Naruto, as he jerked his head up to look first at Hinata, then Iruka.

"Y-you really mean that? You don't think I'll go killing everyone?" asked Naruto with a look similar to that of a scared and cornered animal.

"Nope, it never crossed my mind. I mean sure, I hate the Kyubi for what it did," he paused as he saw Naruto start to look down in shame again, "but, I know you are not the Kyubi. If you were, you would have let Mizuki kill me and Hinata, and either run off with the scroll, or destroyed the village by now. If any one should be considered a monster it's Mizuki, and the other villagers."

Hinata nodded in agreement with Iruka as she continued to hold onto his hands. The three sat in silence for what felt like an eternity to Hinata, but it was only a few minutes. The silence finally ended up shattered by Naruto.

"So I guess this was all just to get me to steal the scroll. So there isn't a way I can become a Genin is there Iruka-sensei. I should have known. Even with those jutsus I learned it was way too easy."

Hearing this brought Hinata back to why she had been following Naruto around the entire night.

"Naruto-kun… If I could I would gladly let you t-take my place. I do not d-deserve it as m-much as y-you do. You worked s-so hard to make it, and y-yet you failed…" Not wanting to see his face, she ducked her head back down, with her chin pressed firmly against her chest, and bangs blocking her face from sight.

"Nah, it's alright. Now I know why I failed earlier. What ever this strange thing is on my arm caused me to fail. It's been causing unholy amounts of pain since last night, and acted up when I took the test. But next year, I know I'll ace it, and maybe we can be on the same team then!

"Besides Hinata, you will make a great ninja. I mean it had to take some real guts to come out here looking for me. Then you came to try to save Iruka-sensei and myself from Mizuki-sensei. I don't know how well you fight or anything, but I'm sure you are strong."

Iruka grinned at his student, happy that he was finally becoming his old self once again. Hinata herself was blushing from the praise she received from Naruto.

"Well now Naruto-kun, I don't think graduating this year is out of the question yet." came an old voice, which carried a great deal of wisdom with it.

Turning around, Iruka, Hinata, and Naruto could see the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi, along with several ANBU and Jonin walking into the crater clearing.

"Jiji, (Grandfather) I didn't think you would find me so soon. Um, yeah Sorry about breaking in and all." started the suddenly nervous and ashamed Naruto.

Looking at him, with his left hand nervously scratching the back of his head, and seeing him unable to make eye contact struck the old Hokage as humorous for some reason. It also reminded him of another blonde prankster, who had done something very similar to Naruto's recent stunt.

"Well Naruto-kun, it is kind of hard to miss the series of explosions you let loose on Mizuki. But I think we have something more important to talk about, such as your Kekkei Genkai, and the Forbidden Scroll." Naruto had enough decency to look bashful, but yet still look excited about having a Bloodline Limit.

"First though Naruto-kun, you need to turn off your ability. To do that is fairly simple, close your eyes, and imagine it going away. Think of it as a piece of clothing that you are removing, almost like a shirt or glove."

With that Naruto closed his eyes, and tried to picture the armor leaving his arm, and slowly revealing his true arm.

As he did, those gathered around could see it happening, slowly parts of the metal encasing it vanished in the same green light that it formed from. It started with the fins on his back, from their tips, down to the shoulder blade. Once those were gone back to whence they came, it started at the shoulder. Slowly it moved down the length of his arm, first the golden and silver portion of the armor peeling and flaking away. As that vanished it left the under armor, which looked almost just like the normal muscle fiber of an arm. Finally even that was gone, leaving only Naruto's original arm, and the clothing that covered it.

Naruto opened his eyes to see the pleased and amused smile of the old Hokage, and the surprised eyes of Hinata and Iruka. With out even looking to his arm, Naruto could tell it was a success.

"Ok… So that is how I get rid of it. But how did I use it in the first place? I mean. I don't know what activated it, or what caused me to use the power of it. Then there is me knowing how to suddenly do one handed seals… I mean it is all kind of surreal Jiji." asked a now confused Naruto.

"Hm, I imagine it is a bit much to take in all in a single night, but before I can explain things, we should get to my office, there we can discuss this to a greater length. Then there is also the fact that the Hyuga have been scouring the village looking for a certain Heiress." The final part was whispered, and said with an amused grin on his aged face.

"Now then, let's return the scroll, and we can talk about the things that have occurred, as well as things from the past.", and with those final words, the Sandaime Hokage turned and started his way back to the village. Behind him Hinata and Naruto followed with an injured Iruka leaning on them.

As they left, the ANBU in the clearing could only stare at the destruction brought down on the little area. Each wondering what had just happened there, as well as what was the strange thing that was on the young Uzumaki's arm and back. What had many intrigued was the white beam of light that was seen from this area shortly before the explosions.

**Hokage Tower**

It took them nearly an hour, with the injured Iruka, to finally make it to the tower, but they made it. It was only after a brief stop to get Iruka fixed up that the pace was quickened and finally brought them to the tower.

Once in, and in the Sandaime's office, and after he secured the Forbidden scroll once again, they were all seated around the desk of the Hokage. Each one had a different reaction cross their face from curious, to anxious, and ashamed of what might be said next.

"Yes, now that that has been taken care of, there are just a few more things to do.", with this he looked towards Hinata. "Hinata-chan, I have already sent a messenger to let your father know you have been found, and in perfect health. I'm sure he will wish to confirm this himself, so he will be here shortly. Before then, we need to speak about several things."

Naruto gulped, as the Hokage settled his steady, piercing gaze upon him.

'_Is he mad about what I did earlier?'_ thought Naruto as he started to sweat bullets.

"First, I have to say Naruto-kun, that Jutsu you used earlier. It is truly a deadly one, I have heard of it from several Jonin, Chunin, and ANBU, but now that I have witnessed it myself there is only one thing to be done." He turned to Iruka to see him shaking his head with a slight pink tint coming to his cheeks, and Hinata with a questioning look on her face. Naruto himself looked rather amused with himself, and was busy scratching the back of his head with a smile plastered on his face.

"Secondly, there is the fact that you stole a very dangerous object. If this scroll had fallen into the wrong hands, there is no telling what they could do with a number of the Jutsus written down within it. The punishment for such an offense is death." Hinata and Naruto couldn't help but gasp at the news.

'_I-is he g-going to k-kill N-Naruto-kun!'_

'_WHAT! I thought the old man cared for me. Is it because I know about IT?'_

The Hokage, who had looked on amused at first, began to regret his choice of words. He could see the hurt across Naruto's face, and the worry on Hinata's. Releasing a deep sorrow filled sigh, he decided to clear things up.

'_It is hard to believe that those two would accept such a thing so easily. Just what have they seen in their short life?'_

"However, that does not apply here, seeing as how you were tricked into this Naruto-kun. So you and Hinata-chan may rest easy. In fact, since you were lead to believe doing this would allow you to become a Genin by one of your Sensei,", he paused as he gave a subtle nod to Iruka, who smiled to the old Hokage, and gingerly stood from his chair to move in front of Naruto.

"Now Naruto, I want you to close your eyes for me. Keep them closed till I tell you to open them, okay?" Naruto nodded his head, and did as he was told by the one he considered his brother/father figure.

Naruto felt a tugging on his head, as what felt like his goggles were removed. Shortly after that he felt something softer, with a firm front being placed around his forehead. After several more seconds, in whom several hairs were caught in something being tied behind his head, he finally heard Iruka tell him to open his eyes.

As Naruto started to open his eyes, he heard a small gasp from beside him where Hinata was sitting. The first thing Naruto noticed was Iruka in front of him, but something was off. It took him a few seconds to realize what it was.

"Iruka-sensei, where's your hitaiate?" asked the confused blonde.

Smiling, and bracing himself for what was to come, Iruka responded, "Congratulations Naruto, you graduate."

Naruto sat there stunned for several minutes, letting the information sink in. Once it sunk in, he pinched himself several times, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Along with that he looked around the room.

'_Well, if this is a dream, it sure is a new one, seeing Hinata is here with me, instead of Sakura-chan. But some how, that just seems better. When I've been around Sakura-chan I was always worried about getting my head bashed in, but with Hinata it is strangely peaceful.'_

After looking around the room, and seeing the smiles on each person's face, he finally let one of his true smiles slip across his. This was his true smile that everyone could tell he was truly happy about something and not one put on as part of a mask to hide pain, sorrow and loneliness.

"YEAH, I DID IT! I DID IT! Thanks Iruka-sensei.", loudly exclaimed the now hyper blonde as he went around the room, first jumping on and hugging Iruka, then doing the same to the aged Hokage. He ended his little trip around the office by running up to Hinata, the Hokage and Iruka watched in amusement, and picked her up off her feet giving her a hug in his excitement. Once his arms wrapped around her, and lifted her from the chair as he twirled around, Hinata's mind promptly shut down as a dark shade of red found its way to her face preceding her passing out.

Iruka was the first to save the girl from any more embarrassment as he stopped Naruto, and picked Hinata up to place her on the couch in the office.

Once Naruto had calmed back down, he took his seat once again, remembering there was still more to discuss.

"Yes, will now that you have that out of your system…" started Sarutobi only to be cut off by Naruto.

"Yeah… I know, the bastard Kyubi is sealed in me. I wasn't too surprised honestly. I mean sure I was shocked at first. But then I remembered the words of the villagers, the things they say and do… The way my apartment is always…" Naruto caught himself before he said too much about his place of residence. He knew how the two would react; he felt he had said enough when he told them he wasn't too surprised to hear it now.

"Naruto… If things were that bad, why didn't you say anything? We would have helped, or stopped them." spoke the now depressed Iruka.

"I… I didn't say anything because I don't want pity… I can take care of myself. My place might be trashed, and my things torn up, but what is important is always safe. As long as that is true, then it doesn't matter how many couches, or pairs of clothes I go through. Besides, I rather like camping out when my place is too trashed." spoke the blonde with a small sad smile on his face.

'_Naruto… Perhaps you are truly ready to know about your family, and perhaps given time the people of Konoha may see you for who you truly are.'_

"Fair enough Naruto, now there is the part about your new found Kekkei Genkai, which I'm sure you want to know something about."

"Yeah, You of all people should know Jiji, that I was always looking for my family, or at least something to let me know what happened to them, or who they were...", whispered a very solemn Naruto.

"I will not admit to knowing or even understanding it. From what I have seen, and heard it is a rare gift that your family has. The Kekkei Genkai was given the name of **_Alter_**, due to the fact that it allows you to manipulate the surrounding molecular reality. When used, the user is able to shape the energy, and resources around you to a new form. In your case it took the form of an armor encased arm. I believe though that the form for each person depends upon their personality.

"You are the type to rush head first into things, and let your fists do the talking for you. Your new power responded to that will, and took the shape most befitting you. I know I may not have explained it perfectly, hence why I dug up this scroll left to you by your father. I must warn you though, what you read may upset you and it is all highly confidential information. As such, only those I feel necessary, and those you wish to know are allowed to hear this. Do you understand, and agree to these terms Naruto-kun?" asked the Hokage as he leaned forward onto his desk, while clasping his hands in front of him, and resting his chin upon it.

"There is also the fact about Kyubi being within you. That is also highly classified information. It is true majority of the village knows this, but it is only those that are older then your generation that know this. I made a law shortly after the Kyubi was defeated; the law was that no one was to speak of this to the younger generation under penalty of death. This was done for your benefit, so that you may have a chance to make friends." The Hokage paused as his shoulder sagged down.

"Sadly, it seems that many children followed their parents lead, and treated you how they saw you treated by the adults. But it seems that there are a few exceptions to this rule, one such is right over on the couch now." At that, Naruto and the two others in the room looked over towards Hinata's resting form, each little small smile pass across their faces.

Naruto sat there to think it over. On one hand, the answers he was always looking for were right in front of him. Who were his parents, where were they, were they alive or dead? Were they great Heroes, or disgraces to the village? Did he truly want to know about them, and his heritage, as well as what seemed to be his new birthright?

Then there was the fact that who could he share this with? Iruka-sensei would be one of the first and maybe only people right now. But then there was Hinata. She seemed to know so much about him already, and accepted him, even knowing that the Kyubi was sealed inside of him. She brought him back from despair with her kind words. He had never seen her do harm to any one through out their time in the Academy. Some how he knew he could trust her with what ever he felt, that she could be a person to confide in when he needed. To him she felt like a kindred spirit.

"Jiji, I want to know. I need to know…" claimed Naruto finally.

With those words, the Hokage reached into his robes, and pulled out a scroll with a spiral seal holding it shut. It was the same seal that the Hokage always wanted Naruto to have on his clothing, claiming it was his family crest.

Once Naruto had a hold of the scroll, the Hokage started to explain what it was, only for Naruto to stop him.

"A blood seal right? Only one related to the person who sealed it can open it. One of the best ways to keep information a secret when you don't want those it doesn't pertain to, to find out", he paused as he noticed the bewildered looks of the two adults. "What?"

"Naruto-kun, how did you know that? Those are not normally covered in the Academy; only in more advanced sealing texts would you find such things. Such things normally are not taught to others unless it is by family, or the person has reached a certain rank."

"I don't know honestly. I guess it started about four years ago when I just turned eight. I was going to leave my apartment to go to the woods that night; I can't stand being there on my birthday, when I found a scroll with my name on it, stuck to my door. Then I would find others tacked on my door on almost every holiday.

"Inside they would tell me to keep the information I learned to myself, and only reveal it to Jiji, when I became a Genin. Each scroll contained sealing jutsus, and training guides for me to use. I could never find out who was putting them there, and I never found anything in them as very useful. But it was something for me to learn, since I couldn't get into the library and my books were torn up.

"But these scrolls were like a life preserver. One of the first ones told me to act almost opposite of what I really am. Don't get me wrong, I want to be Hokage for the reasons I've always said, and those pranks are fun to do. I do hate Sasuke, but that is all really. I hate orange, I don't like Sakura-chan, I'm not really as loud as I act at times, and I'm not as dumb as people think… After doing it for about a year, it all started to become natural for me; I made it into a long term mission for myself. I wanted to see how long I could keep up the act without any one knowing. In the end I think it was these scrolls that stopped me from doing some very stupid things."

"Naruto-kun, is there any chance that you could let me see these scrolls? I might be able to tell where they come from then." asked the Hokage. But, inside of his mind though, he was asking many other questions.

'_Who would give him such information? If the all of the scrolls were about seals, and sealing methods, I only know of a few who would give such things to him. Of those few, I can only think of one that would know Naruto enough, or care enough, to want him to grow.'_

"Sorry Jiji, but whoever gave me these scrolls wanted me to promise to never show them to others unless it was the person I married, an apprentice, or my own child. While I may not know who they are, I always keep my promises. But I can say that it was because of one of the newest scrolls that I found out why I sucked at the **Bunshin no Jutsu**. I was always over doing the chakra needed for a basic one. The newest scroll gave me several training exercises to do to help control my chakra better.

"But now I see another reason why it was always so hard for me to control my Chakra. The Kitsune-teme's chakra that could be leaking into me might be another source of the problem. But I think I've gotten past it for now."

Iruka and the Hokage smiled at the enthusiasm put behind the final words.

"Very well Naruto." It was at this time that a loud voice could be heard from outside of the doors leading. The three that were currently awake inside of the office could hear the unmistakable voice of a person who thought too much of themselves. To those who knew him it could only be one person, Hyuga Hiashi, the current head of the Hyuga clan.

With a look showing his distaste for the upcoming discussion, Sarutobi called out for the guards to let Hiashi enter.

Enter he did, Hiashi had thrown the doors open, and stormed into the room with a flourish of his white and beige robes. Forgoing all pleasantries he started the 'friendly topic' of discussion up.

"Hokage-sama where is my daughter?" Demanded the angry, yet seemingly caring, Hyuga.

"No need to be worried Hiashi, she is doing fine. As a matter of fact she is lying over on the couch. She has had a long night, which is something I need to speak with you about as well."

It was at this point that Hiashi calmed down, and took stock of his surroundings. As he did he was surprised to see who was present in the room. First he noticed Iruka, who he could understand, since he was Hinata's instructor at the Academy.

After Iruka he noticed Naruto looking him straight in the eyes, with and a look he had not seen in the last twelve years. Something in Naruto's eyes showed an inner strength to Hiashi, one that made it seem like the boy could battle to hell and back should he need to. Hiashi didn't realize it, but he had been staring back into the eyes of the young man, with his mouth slightly open, a testament to the surprise he saw in the young eyes.

"Hokage-sama, might I ask why these two are present? I thought that this would not concern them, perhaps Umino-san, but not Uzumaki-san." asked the stoic Hyuga.

"Yes well Hiashi that is what I needed to talk to you about. You see Hinata-chan has been following Naruto-kun today. If you were not aware of these, he stole the Forbidden Scroll of Seals a few hours ago. Your daughter followed, and watched as he studied and learned some of what was contained inside of it." He paused as he could see the rage in the Hyuga's eyes, nerves around his sockets twitching to activate the deadly Doujutsu of the Hyugas.

"He did nothing to harm her Hiashi, she simple fainted. That is entirely understandable after what she has learned today. You see Naruto was tricked into stealing the scroll, with the promise of graduating form the Academy by Mizuki. Mizuki would have killed young Naruto had Iruka not shown up in time to prevent it. It was then that Mizuki resorted to revealing Naruto's, and Konoha's darkest secret, Kyubi was sealed inside of Naruto."

Once again Hiashi's eyes flashed with rage, but this time it seemed to be aimed at Mizuki's actions.

"He then tried to eliminate both Iruka and Naruto in a single attack. Your daughter came running out in attempt to save them. Naruto however took the brunt of the assault by himself, and it was then he found _his_ legacy. Once he did, he defended your daughter, and Iruka from Mizuki, and defeated Mizuki with the help of several jutsus he learned from the scroll."

Hiashi took the moment of silence to observe and appraise Iruka's, Naruto's, and Hinata's injuries. All three looked fine, with the exception of a few minor scrapes and bruises. Out of the three involved, Iruka looked to be the worst off. His torso was heavily bandaged, yet still showed some hints of red. There were several places along his arms and legs that were bandaged as well, but none near as severely as his torso.

"I see… How did my daughter take the news of him being the container of the Kyubi?" asked Hiashi to the room.

Being the best to answer, Iruka fielded the question. "She was surprised at first, as anyone would be; the same was true of Naruto as well. However after Naruto defeated Mizuki and we came out of hiding to check on Naruto, she was the first to comfort him about the issue. You see Naruto thought we would both see him as monsters, or that we hated him. Hinata told him she saw him as a hero, and not a monster. That he was, and is still Uzumaki Naruto to her." finished Iruka finally. The look on his face showed Hiashi how proud he was of Hinata for her actions.

"I see Hokage-sama, if I could, may I speak with you and Umino-san in private. Uzumaki-san and Hinata could wait outside while we speak. This may also give him a chance to read over the scroll his family left for him. That may be best since we are here to answer any questions he may have of us."

Iruka looked towards the Hokage, the back to Hiashi, wondering what they would need to speak of that would concern Naruto, and Hinata, yet not want them to listen in on.

Nodding in agreement, the Hokage turned to Naruto. "Naruto, would you mind stepping outside with Hinata while we discuss something? I promise to call you back in as soon as possible. I hope by then you have some questions for me that I may answer."

Just nodding his head, Naruto walked over to the still sleeping Hinata, placed one of her arms around his neck, then moved his under her legs, and behind her head to finally hoist her into the air and step out of the room.

Once he was out, and Iruka made sure the door was secured, Hiashi took Naruto's previously seat, while Iruka took his once again.

"I will not beat around the bush Hokage-sama, I wish for Uzumaki to be on my daughter's team. He is spite in image of his father, and if he is anything like him, he will be able to bring out my daughter's talent. The only thing she lacks is confidence, and Uzumaki has it in abundance."

"I can understand that Hiashi-sama," started Iruka, "but you of all people know that the council wants us to divide the teams by their academy standings. If we make this exception, it may seem like we are playing favorites. Believe me, I would like Naruto and her be on the same team. She seems to have a calming effect on him, as well as already knowing one of his most important secrets. She accepts him for who he is, so he would not have to hide anything from her. If we could…" Iruka would have continued, except for being silenced by the glare of Hiashi.

"Tell me Sarutobi, who controls the military force of Konoha? Have you forgotten that it is yours to control as you see fit with in reason? Or have you forgotten who you were, and let the Advisory council tell you how to do your job? The families that make up the Shinobi council have been a little disheartened lately with how you have run the military might of Konoha. They say that you have become meek, and are no longer the "Professor" that you used to be. If you could not do this, then I'm afraid I would have to agree with them."

The Hokage looked at the clan head and couldn't help but smile at the words. It had been some time since he had run things how he felt. In all honestly he had felt like he was just a place holder until he could find a suitable replacement. Ever since the Yondaime had passed away the Advisory council had used it as a point to take control of most parts of the government. And he in his old age let them dictate what they wished, unless it had to do with Naruto, which is where he would draw the line. This had cost him a great many voices among the council, and it showed when he tried to implement programs.

But with the words of Hiashi, he felt something spark within him once again. It was something that seemed to have died along with the Yondaime during the battle with Kyubi. It was his Shinobi or Ninja pride. The pride of doing a job well done, and protecting those he cared for. It was true he protected them still, but reflecting on it, it was never to the best of his ability. So many things had happened that could have been done differently, one of which was being discussed now. The life and well being of Naruto, who he would never let, fall to the masses.

"Hiashi… It seems your time with Arashi under Jiraiya has had an affect upon you. You are right, the military forces of Konoha are mine to control, and the Civilian Advisory council be damned. Iruka, who do you propose would to be the third member for the team?"

Iruka was shocked, but pleased to hear the words form the Hokage.

"Well… according to the last meeting we had earlier with the Jonin up for teams, it was going to be the Ino-Shika-Cho team under your son, and Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba under Yuhi Kurenai. The only gap we had was Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke under Hatake Kakashi, which was by request of Kakashi, and demand of the council. If we went with normal circumstances, Naruto would be placed on that team.

"We could easily remove Sakura, and place her in Hinata's slot on Kurenai's team. If we did that though, it would be causing a volatile group with Sasuke and Naruto, and then there is the Uchiha and Hyuga feud. If I were to make a team I would…"

"I will not have my daughter on any team with the Uchiha. This has nothing to do with any family feud, but his sanity. It should be easy to tell the child walks a dark path, one which he cares not for friends, or team mates. I would dare say that given the chance he would easily turn his back upon this village for a chance at revenge." cut in Hiashi.

"Okay, as I was going to say… You want Hinata to be on a team with Naruto in hopes of her gaining some of his confidence. At the same time, I would like for him to be placed on a team with people who would accept him for who he is. Hinata is already cemented into one slot, so this brings us to the final slot. Both members so far lack one major thing as far as I can tell, and that is strategy, or brains. Aburame Shino, and Nara Shikamaru, as well as Haruno Sakura could fill that.

"Sakura however hates Naruto with a passion; which Naruto seems to return those feelings, so she is out. I have never seen Shino or Shikamaru act overly rude, or offensive towards him, however with Shino's ability it would unbalance the team, at least when compared to the others. As such only Shikamaru would leave it fair, plus it might motivate him some. For the other teams, we would have to move some people around, but still have what we needed for them.

"We can place Sasuke, Sakura, and Choji under Kakashi. The only problem we may have with that group is Sasuke and Sakura being unfair towards Choji. Not to mention that Kakashi is bound to be more then a little unfair in his teaching methods. Neither of the other two Genin on the squad has been nice to Choji in the past, but it is the only thing doable to keep the teams balanced.

"The final team, under Kurenai I suppose, would consist of Shino, Kiba, and Ino. It can be a multi purpose squad for tracking, scouting, and infiltration. All three can perform the duties of scouts, while Shino and Ino would be the best for infiltration and spying. Kiba and Shino would also be the best viable options for the role of tracker. Under Kurenai, Ino would also b able to learn and master Genjutsu techniques, which would be perfect for her.

"My only concern is with giving the final team to your son, Hokage-sama. No offense to him, but he seems to be more of a laid back type of person. That is fine with Shikamaru, since it mimics him perfectly. But with Naruto, he might become a little agitated, and be unable to keep up with him. That is why I propose a new Sensei for the team…" Iruka dropped out of instructor mode, and started to go through some papers that were on the Hokage's desk. From what Hiashi and the Hokage could tell, they were team request forms put in, and kept in case a team fitting the requested one popped up, or if the Academy teachers and Hokage felt the Jonin was perfect for. After several minutes of digging, Iruka finally pulled out a form that looked to have been sitting there for more then a couple of years.

"That is why I feel this person would be perfect. Not only does she have the energy to keep up with Naruto. But she also has the ability to motivate someone like Shikamaru, and instill confidence into Hinata. She requested a team two years ago, but at the time there was not one anyone felt like placing with her. But with this group, she would be perfect, her name is Mitarashi Anko, and she would be the perfect Jonin for this team."

_**Outside the office**_

Naruto walked out of the office, and gently set Hinata down on one of the couches there. Once done, he walked to what is normally the secretary's desk, and sat in her chair. Once he was seated he reached into his kunai holster, and pulled one out to quickly cut the tip of his finger. Once cut, he quickly ran it across the seal of the scroll.

In a flash of light, and a crackle of chakra, the scroll floated into the air as the seal released, and allowed the scroll to fall back into Naruto's hands. After placing the kunai back in the holster, he braced himself for what he was about to read.

He slowly unrolled the scroll to reveal the Uzumaki spiral first, followed by some text written fluently, and elegantly. Over the text were several water marks, almost as if someone was crying while writing the scroll out. Along the edges, bloodstained fingerprints could be seen running the length of the scroll.

After glancing over those few things, he finally settled in to read the message that may have come from his father, and mother, or what ever relative left the message for him.

_Dear Naruto,_

_I know it may seem strange reading this right now, I mean I don't even know how old you might be right now. But it seems like old Sarutobi has finally seen fit for you to read this message, and find out about your family._

_I wanted him to keep this from you till you were able to fend for yourself. Now his idea of that may be different from mine, but I believe he wouldn't give it to you with out believing in your skills. _

_You see Naruto, through out my career as a Ninja for Konoha; I have made a great number of enemies. Entire countries hate and fear me, and our clan name. I had many names that were listed in the Bingo books of the Iwa, Kiri, Suna, Kusa, Kumo, Ame, well to make it short, I was listed in several Bingo books across the continent. Some listed me as "_The Leaf's Yellow Flash" _because of my ability to move around the battle field and destroy armies in a single assault. Others listed me as _"The Tempest"_, because of my battle prowess, making me as dangerous as a raging storm. But inside of the walls of Konoha, I was known as the Yondaime Hokage._

Naruto froze at this, and his hands grabbed hold of the desk, and clinched. He started to squeeze the wood, and didn't know how hard he was doing it till parts splintered off into his hands. Feeling the splinters in his hands brought him back from his small bout with rage. Before going on to read he couldn't help but wonder one little thing.

'_How could my own father do this to me? How could he seal a monster like the KYUBI INTO HIS OWN SON?'_

After yelling that mentally, he continued on with the scroll.

_I know what you might be thinking Naruto, How could I have left you after what I did right? Believe me, if I had any other choice I would have taken it, but at the time this was the only thing I could do. I gather by now you know of the Kyubi being sealed inside of you by me. How your life has been since, I could only hope the village took my last words to heart. _'Yeah right… Those bastards made it a living hell when they could.'

_When I told Sarutobi of my plans, I let him know that I wanted you to be seen as a Hero of the Leaf. But if I know humans half as well as I know Ero-Sennin, then they probably made life hell for you. I'm sorry if this happened, and I wish I could have made it anything but that. I'm sure I could have requested for one of my old team mates to take you in, but I would rather you not grow up spoiled like so many other heirs do. Only God knows how much I would have hated for you to be like one of the Uchiha's, as arrogant as they are._

_I wanted you to grow up as a normal child, but still a hero. I wanted you to grow up unspoiled, that way you would hold things closer to you when you gained them. Because having things given to you does nothing to help you appreciate them, but working for things makes the reward all the sweeter. This is what I believed in, and what my Sensei beat into me, literally._

_On the night of the Kyubi your mother was sent into premature labor. You were not due to be born for several more weeks, but due to the stress caused from the attack she was forced into it. Because of this sadly… I'm sorry Naruto… I'm trying to control myself while writing this for you but it's just too hard to do right now… Because she went into labor prematurely, she was not entirely ready, nor were you. When the doctors performed the surgery to remove you from your mother's womb, she lost a great deal of blood… Because of this they were never able to……_

The last part was too hard to read from all of the tear stains that covered it. Naruto didn't need an expert to tell him though. From the way his father spoke he could guess what happened.

'_My mom… She died giving birth to me…'_

Fighting back his own tears once again, he continued on reading.

_When I heard the news, I broke down, wondering how I would find the strength to battle the Kyubi, and still be able to watch you grow up a healthy boy, into a strong young man. Nothing I could think of though would allow this. It was during this time that I found a way to defeat the Kyubi, an ancient yet powerful Fuin Jutsu. It was called the _**Shiki Fujin, **_along with the _**Hakke no Fuin Shiki.**_ Using these would allow me to defeat the Kyubi by sealing it into a container._

_The only problem was that no tree, rock, shrine, or house could contain the immense power of the Kyubi. The only thing that had a chance to do it would be a child, whose chakra coils were not yet developed. There were several children that could have been selected, but as Hokage, how could I ask my people do to something I was unwilling to do? As the Hokage I had to be sure I did everything within my strength before I imposed on another. This is why I was left with no other choice but to use you as the container for the Kyubi. _

_Believe me Naruto, it was not an easy choice. First I lost your mother, and now I would possibly lose you, or die in the sealing, and leave you fatherless. If I did not perform the sealing, the Kyubi would continue to rampage, and destroy Konoha, and who knows how many it would have killed. So it is my hope Naruto, that you understand why I did what I had to do. I ask not for your forgiveness, because how could you give it to someone who you never knew? I only ask you for your understanding, because if there was any other way, I would have done it. _

_That is the reason why I am sitting here now, writing this scroll to you, one last message to give to you before I leave with you in my arms to do my final duty as the Yondaime Hokage. I did not plan on leaving you entirely alone though my son. _

_I will have to wrap this up quickly though, the Kyubi is getting closer to the village, and I need to be there soon. Inside of this scroll you will see several others sealed inside. If I know Jiraiya, he has probably taught you about these, and so it should not take you long to open release them. Inside you will find information about your mother, your bloodline limit, inheritance, family manor, and several jutsus I thought you may like, if you haven't learned them already. There will also be a map, which will only respond to the unique chakra of someone from our family. It will give you another message, one which I will not dare write down in this scroll._

_Son, I hope you grow up to, or have grown up to be a great person. Never let your anger or hatred blind you, and lead you astray. Always keep a clear mind, and focus on what is important in life. Enjoy yourself while you can, and always be there for your friends, family, and village._

_With my deepest regards, and love,_

_Kazama Arashi, Yondaime Hokage._

_P.S _

_If you ever meet Jiraiya, tall white haired man with red tear streaks under his eyes, remember a few things. He may be a great teacher, but he is still a lecher. It is his one true weakness that allows others to manipulate him. Do not turn out like him, because if you do, you may regret it when you find a wife._

Naruto looked down on the scroll, shocked at some of the news written with in. He still felt anger inside of him for his father doing what he did, but as one dreaming of becoming Hokage, he some how had to agree with what was said. Could a Hokage ask his villagers, the ones he wants to protect, make such a sacrifice, with out being willing to do it first? Would it not make him a bad leader then? His father did what any great leader would want to do. He died protecting his people. In doing so he sacrificed the life of his wife, himself, and his only child.

He wasn't able to hold back the tears any more, finally the shock of everything he read, had sunk in, and his tears started to flow freely, for the first time in a long time, Uzumaki Kazama Naruto cried out of sadness openly.

It was this sound that Hinata woke up to.

Hinata was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of hugging Naruto, and perhaps being on the same team as him. Both would get to know each other more, and then perhaps Naruto would start to return her feelings. They would become Chunin together, and continue seeing more and more of each other. It wasn't long before her dream started to become too risqué for her, and the sound of someone crying filtered into her dream world.

So as she woke, and started to sit up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she saw something she could honestly say she had never seen before. Naruto crying, so quickly overcoming her shock at the rare sight, she stood up from the couch, and slowly walked towards where Naruto sat, moving slowly, so as not to startle him.

As she drew closer, she finally dared to speak to him.

"N-Naruto-kun… Is e-everything alright?" she timidly asked the blonde.

She stood there waiting for an answer, but one never came to her. Instincts taking over, she circled around the desk to stand behind him, and turn him around in the chair to face her. When he was facing her, she was caught by surprise as the look of sorrow in his face. To her, she had never seen him look so helpless and alone. Seeing him like that showed he was just as human as everyone else around him, as well as tugged on her heart strings more then usual. After seeing him in this state for several seconds, she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and pulling him in, as some dormant maternal instinct kicked in for her.

Feeling the contact, Naruto brought his arms up to wrap around Hinata's body, and rested his head on her shoulders, still crying, and mumbling things about his father, and Kyubi.

Hinata for her part sat there and rubbed his back, much like her mother used to do with her. She rocked back and forth gently, as she tried to calm him down. Gone was her usual shyness, forgotten as she tried to help the source of her strength, and happiness.

After several minutes, she could finally hear the signs of him calming down, yet she continued to do as any mother would do for their child. After it seemed like Naruto calmed down, she gathered the nerves to speak to him.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

When he failed to answer verbally, she noticed him just motioning his head back towards the desk where the scroll sat. Taking the small hint, she slowly released Naruto from the embrace, and walked over towards the desk to see what could have shaken him so much.

Slowly she read through the message left on the scroll. It felt like she was reading a novel, something created in someone's mind, and not a person's personal history. Finding out that the Yondaime was Naruto's father, and made the ultimate sacrifice of his life, his wife's, and well as his only child, all to save the village.

Seeing this made her respect the man more, yet also disgusted her to an extent. She couldn't help but wonder how someone could cause their own newborn child so much pain, even if unintentional.

"Oh… Naruto-kun…" she let escape her lips as she finished reading the life altering scroll.

As she said this, the door leading towards the office of the Hokage once again opened to reveal her father, and Iruka,

Upon seeing Naruto down on the ground with tear tracks running down his cheeks, Iruka rushed over to make sure everything was okay.

Hinata rolled the scroll up, and gently placed it in Naruto's lap before heading towards her father's retreating figure. As she left down the hall, she cast one final glance back at the figures of Naruto and Iruka.

Shortly after those two departed, Iruka picked up Naruto, and lead him into the office of the Hokage. After setting Naruto down in upon the couch, he took his leave to let the two speak.

That night they spent a great deal of time speaking of Naruto's father, and what he was like.

While he was angry with him at first, Naruto slowly started to understand why he did what he had to do. Naruto slowly started to come around to the same line of thought, as he put himself in his father's shoes. He admitted to himself that while it may not have been an easy thing to do, it had to be done. What was one life compared to the hundreds of others that would be saved by the few sacrifices of his family.

After talking about the circumstances leading up to the sealing, the Hokage left Naruto with the parting words requesting him to be sure to read the other items sealed within the scroll. He was told that they would reveal more about his bloodline, as well as his mother, and family house. Due to Naruto's age, he would be unable to claim all of his inheritance at the current time, but should he make the rank of Chunin, then by law he would be allowed to take the privileges of all clan heads, and be allowed full access to his inheritance.

It wouldn't be till two in the morning that Naruto made it back to his home, and gained the most peaceful sleep he had in the last few days.

The next morning brought light into the eyes of a sleeping blonde haired boy, who was struggling with everything he had to block it out. Despite his best efforts, he lost the battle, and cursed his new found enemy, the Sun.

Rising from bed, and going about his morning routine on autopilot, he was still awash in his memories of the last day.

'_I have a family… They may be dead, but at least I know what happened to them now. I guess after I find out my team, I can read more of the scroll. Hopefully it will tell me how to use my bloodline limit, if not I'll have to look back on the fight with Mizuki-sensei…'_

It was as he left his shower, shivering cold, and walked into his room that he suddenly remembered something he was supposed to do yesterday.

"KUSO, I forgot to do my laundry, just great, now I don't have anything to wear, I think."

Slowly he started to sort through his clothes in his closet, and his dresser. During which he found a pair of baggy black pants, which he bandaged closed at ankles. He also found another of his black t-shirts, with the red spiral on the chest, and smaller ones on the shoulders. There was only one problem with the shirt; it was just a little too small. It was small, but not too small, he could still wear it, and the only problem would be that it would be like a second set of skin.

With little choice in the matter, after all who would want to wear a shirt caked with mud, and some dried blood, he pulled the shirt on, and slipped his sandals. Doing some light stretches, and forgoing breakfast, since he forgot to do the shopping as well, he finished his attire with the final piece, his Hitaiate, wrapped securely around his forehead.

He was about to jump out his window before his eyes fell upon the scroll left to him by his father. Pausing, he grabbed the scroll, and placed it into his hip pouch. Once he was sure he had everything, he quickly jumped out of the window and made his way across the roof tops towards the Academy, eager to see who would be on his team, and start his new found duties as a Shinobi of the Leaf.

As he made his way to the academy he couldn't help but feel like he was being followed. Stopping several times, and looking back, he could never spot the culprit, so he continued along the roof tops. He wasn't far from the Academy when he started to hear strange giggling coming from behind him. Stopping to turn and look, he came to see Sasuke's worst fear, and most terrifying nightmare, a fan club. Many of the girls he remembered from his class, and time in the Academy. The ones on the streets though all looked like they were from the civilian populace, and each looking at Naruto with hearts in their eyes.

The sight of so many girls around him startled him, and caused him to look around in search of the brooding Uchiha, only to find no trace of him any where in sight. Turning to look at the gathered girls again, he noticed something he had never expected to see before; all of their eyes were focused on him.

'_This can not be happening… Since when do I have a fan club?'_

With those thoughts he set out at a full sprint towards the Academy with a herd of screaming fans right behind him, all calling for their blonde haired king.

Several minutes later, as well as several more close calls, Naruto could be seen sneaking into the class room via the back door, and taking a seat near a head of indigo colored hair. Once seated, he tried his best to look invisible there, and pray none of his new found fan club would notice him until Iruka came into the room. It was while he was busy doing this that he heard a small gasp come from beside him.

Mentally cursing himself, he turned towards the sound, and braced to be jumped. What meets his eyes was the form of a blushing Hinata, who quickly turned her head away and started to poke her fingers together, to what seemed like the beating of her racing heart.

Ignoring the blush, he decided to greet the only person who knew his deepest secrets.

"Hey Hinata, how are things going? You look like you are kind of sick or something, maybe you are just hot from that thick jacket, why not take it off?"

When Hinata had turned to see Naruto, she could hardly believe how he looked. Gone was the orange jumpsuit, and the baggy clothes, and in its place was a Naruto with what looked like more fashion, and a shirt that showed off his well toned body, at least for a twelve year old boy. She couldn't believe herself that his muscles were so well defined at his age.

She was taken by surprised by his comment and hearing him ask her to take the jacket off made her skin glow. In this situation, she did what came natural to her, started poking her index fingers together at a pace similar to her pulse. It was during this time that she remembered how vulnerable he appeared the night before, and she suddenly realized one simple thing. She realized how similar their lives have been, both being hunted for things outside of their control. Her because of her eyes, and him because of the demon sealed in him. She had no idea how many people may have tried to kill him in an attempt to "slay the demon", but if her life was any sign, she dreaded to imagine the numbers.

Quickly shaking herself from her thoughts, and turning to see the slightly worried look on Naruto's face, she answers him.

"N-no N-Naruto-kun I-I'm fine…I think y-you just c-caught me by s-surprise is all." stuttered out the pale eyed girl.

Hearing those words, and nodding in understanding, Naruto quickly went through a mood change, with his face becoming more downcast then normal.

"Hey, Hinata, about last night, I'm sorry for crying like a baby on your shoulder and all…I just… I don't know, all that kind of hit me harder then I thought it would, but I'm glad I know now. Now I know what happened to my family, and I can quit wondering if they just abandoned me or something…" whispered Naruto.

Hinata was surprised at first, but once she thought back to the previous nights, she could tell how hard it must have been for him to say something about the previous night.

"N-no Naruto-kun, there is nothing to be sorry for. I understand why it h-happened, and I t-think any one w-would have d-done the s-same thing in your s-situation. I think you were really strong last night, and very brave. I don't think any one else could have handle what you did as well as you did.' finished the shy girl, forgetting her shyness towards the end.

"Thanks Hinata, that really means a lot to me. Some how I think you are the only one here who knows the real me, even with my act the last four years. You are, and would be an amazing friend, Hinata-_chan_" whispered Naruto once again before turning to Iruka who had just entered the front of the room.

Hinata started to blush as the suffix added onto her name, and couldn't help but noticed how he had ignored the entrance of his one time "crush" Haruno Sakura. She didn't get much time to think about it before Iruka started to speak to the class.

When many of the students saw Iruka, they thought he had been through a war zone. His torso was still heavily bandaged, as well as parts of his arms and legs. Many had heard the explosions the night before, who couldn't, but none knew what could cause them. They could tell by the looks of their teacher that he must have been some where near the explosions, his wounds, and slightly pale face did little to hide the fact.

"Alright class, today is the day that you take the first steps to becoming a full fledged Konoha-nin. You have done a great deal while in the academy, and now it is time for me to pass you on. Today you are no longer Academy students, but Genin of Konohagakure no Sato. You, along with two others on your team with embark upon a new journey in life, one which will hold its ups and downs.

"During this time remember what makes Konoha strong, as well as its namesake. No one is ever alone, as long as you have your team and friends, nothing is impossible to defeat. It is with that thought that I announce the teams that you will become to view as a second family. I will call out a team number, then the three members of the team. After all teams have been called, there will be an hour break for lunch, and then you will return here for your Jonin Sensei to pick you up."

With that Iruka started to call out numbers, and names. Each person in the room started to wait to hear their name, and hoping to be placed on a team with their best friends. In some cases it prayed to be place with who they had a crush on. Some spent this time talking, and Kiba was no exception.

When Kiba saw Naruto come in, dressed in something other then orange, he was a little surprised at first. When he saw Naruto sit down next to Hinata, and the two start talking, he was even more surprised. He still couldn't see what she saw in him, but just about everyone in the class knew how she felt about him. Still though, he like many others took great pleasure in messing with Naruto. Kiba though really liked to bully him, since it seemed like no other teacher would do anything except Iruka.

"Hey Naruto-baka, this is only for those who actually _Graduated_, so what are you doing here? And what is up with the new clothes, hoping to get Sakura to fall for you? Just drop the stupid **Henge** already, no one will actually believe you look like that."

Turning his eyes from Iruka to Kiba, who was sitting in the row in front of him, Naruto let loose his own murderous glare.

"Shut up dog boy, in case you have noticed, I have a head band too," he tapped the object wrapped around his forehead. As for the clothes, well unlike you, I have to do my own laundry, and haven't had a chance to, besides even if I wore some of my dirtier clothes, I would still smell better then you, flea bag." this caused Kiba to growl, while ignoring the fact that he WAS currently scratching his head, sending small white flakes, and several black object flying around.

"As for the **Henge**, if you thought this was one, then you really suck at detection. This is the real me, and this comes from training. I mean did you think that those pranks were just for fun? I used those to test my speed, and stealth, as well as my ability to hide from a superior enemy. So I guess you could say I practiced infiltration missions all that time."

Growling at the remarks, Kiba turned back to the front of the room, trying to ignore the sound of Naruto laughing behind him. Once facing the front, he reached down and scratched Akamaru's head, who was sitting on the desk.

"We'll show him boy, just wait, and he will get what he deserves." Akamaru gave a bark in agreement to his master's words.

Ino was busy talking to Sakura, both were arguing at first on who would be on Sasuke's team, but stopped when they heard Kiba talking to Naruto, who both failed to see when they entered the room. Neither of them could believe the look Naruto was now sporting.

He still had the same old care free smile, but there was something different about it now, it almost looked more natural, and not forced, like an invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His hair was as messy as ever, but it wasn't in large pointed clumps, each one seemed to have separated into smaller ones, and were held above his eyes by his head band. Some reason Sakura felt she had seen something or someone _very _similar before, but could never place where.

Each of them was surprised to see how his shirt was almost like a second skin. It seemed to hug all of his body, showing off well developed muscles, and a nice fit body, more so then Sasuke, though they admitted it with some reluctance. They couldn't believe that someone besides their Sasuke-kun could ever look good in black, well Sakura couldn't, but Ino made no complaints about the comparison.

He also seemed to be having an effect on Hinata; she seemed to be a little more confident, and not as shy or nervous around him. She was smiling and holding back giggles at his antics, and couldn't help but let a few slip out after his comments to Kiba. Though she quickly said a small apology, the change was still evident.

"Wow, who took the old Naruto, and changed him with that hunk?" asked a stunned Ino.

Sakura just snorted, and turned to look towards Sasuke. "Naruto is hardly a hunk; he is just a baka, who doesn't deserve to be here. I don't even know why he is here; maybe he just stole or bribed the teachers for that head band."

Both would have said more except for hearing something that caught both of their short attention.

"Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke, Akimichi Choji," a groan from the back of the room form Choji showed how much he hated that. He could only hope for someone pleasant to talk to be the final members.

'_Man, I hope Shika is the final member. I would even put up with Kiba of Shino. Hinata or Naruto wouldn't be bad either… Just please not a Sasuke fan girl'_

His thoughts were shattered, and his head hit the desk with Iruka's next words. "Haruno Sakura, will be lead by Hatake Kakashi.", which was followed by a shout of joy, and one of protest from Sakura and Ino respectively.

Shikamaru could feel for his long time friend. "Don't worry Choji, maybe it won't be as bad as you think. Besides, we can still talk and hang out after team practices are over." He smiled seeing his friend's mood lighten up some with those words. After hearing that team though, he wondered what the others would be like.

Iruka could see the sadness floating around Choji, and felt sorry for doing it. But he hoped it would help to bring him out of his shell some, so maybe he could make friends with someone other then Shikamaru, and to a lesser extent Ino. He continued on with the next team.

"Team 8: Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino," he paused as he looked discreetly at Ino and imagine her outrage at the next bit of news, "Yamanaka Ino, lead by Yuhi Kurenai." True to his thoughts, Ino screamed in outrage at being placed with a smelly dog, and a creepy bug guy.

Iruka smiled to himself as he looked the class over. What caught his eye the most, and caused his smile to increase in size what the change in Naruto. No longer was he a loner, who seemed to force his happiness to the surface, he was now what seemed to be himself. Honest and carefree, and what seemed to pass as attractive to many of the female members of the class.

"There will be no Team 9, as that team is still in circulation from last year. There for, Team 10: Hyuga Hinata," he smiled when her eyes came to him, and then moved back to Naruto, almost pleading with the gods that he would be on her team. "Nara Shikamaru," he grinned as the lazy boy actually seemed to be paying attention for once. "And Uzumaki Naruto, lead by Mitarashi Anko. You are all free for lunch now; remember to be back here in an hour for your Sensei to pick you up." With that Iruka turned, and slowly walk away from the shouts of joy running throughout the entire class."

**Hokage Tower**

Sitting in the Hokage's office were the gathered Jonins for this year's class, as well as those from the year before. Those for the current class were looking over the files given to them by the Hokage, getting to know their new students. Currently though, there was one Jonin missing from the group, as well as the Hokage himself. Despite this, they continued talking amongst themselves.

"So, Kurenai, I see you get the Inuzuka, Aburame, and the Yamanaka, a strange mix don't you think?" said a lazy voice from across the table. The speaker wore a green Jonin vest, with a black shirt, pants, and mask that covered his mouth, nose, and nearly his left eye. Over his left eye was his Konoha Hitaiate, which also held back his busy silver hair.

"Yes Kakashi, it does seem like a strange bunch, but when you look at it from Iruka's view, it does make sense. I had planned to make it only a tracking team, but with Ino being added into the group, I can do more with them. We can now do scouting, with ease considering the Yamanaka Jutsus. Then there is also infiltration, which works to the strengths of Shino and Ino. Tracking is also doable with the use of Shino and Kiba. Granted, it may not be as effective as it would have been with Hinata, but still doable.

"This also gives me a perfect candidate to pass on some of my more useful Genjutsu to. Sure Haruno Sakura is a perfect Genjutsu type, but I think it will be more potent with Ino. There are just too many ways to be able to work it into her family Jutsus, and combine with Kiba and Shino." stated the raven haired, crimson eyed beauty known as Yuhi Kurenai.

Today she decided to go with a more traditional style of dress, to make a better first impression on her Genin. She wore a tight red shirt, covered by the familiar form of the Jonin combat vest. She also had on a pair for slightly baggy black pants, bandaged at the ankles, and a holster for her weapons on her right thigh.

"Hm, you may be right. I seem to have an odd batch as well, though I am pleased to note that I do have the Uchiha. This will make it easier to teach him once he awakens his Sharingan. Looking at Sakura's information, I'd have to agree about her being a Genjutsu type. She seems to have near perfect control of her chakra, but that could just be someone over stating her skills. She was head in the class in the written portion, but in other areas she didn't fair to well.

"Then there is Choji, who will most likely depend upon his family jutsus. If I could teach Sakura a few Genjutsu, she may be able to keep an enemy busy enough for him to hit them with one. I just hope that the two of them do not cause too many problems with in the team though." drawled out Kakashi again.

"Then there is Team 10." came a random voice from the gather Jonin.

"Yeah, that is an oddball bunch, the Hyuga Heiress, the heir of the Nara clan, and rumored closet genius, and finally the demon brat. Then look at the Jonin for the team, and they would have to be the misfit team." added in another.

"If what I heard is true, then the Hyuga lacks a great deal of confidence, so she can't be that great and probably just barely passed. The Nara is a lazy ass, who would only move if he needed to. The Uzumaki, well I don't know, I heard he failed the tests three times already, including this year's test." spoke added in Kakashi.

"You never know, Anko might be able to turn them around, after all none of you know her like I do."

"AH, Kurenai, your youthful optimism is refreshing! But tell me, what makes you believe that? Surely this team is full of what my rival has stated, the odds of them becoming successful Shinobi are very slim." claimed a man clad in a green skin tight spandex body suit, with Jonin vest, and orange leg warmers. The truly disturbing thing, aside from the body suit was the eyebrows that were hairier then a caterpillar.

"Just call it women's intuition Gai. Some reason I think there is something special about Uzumaki Naruto. As a Genjutsu user, I develop a habit of watching everything **_very_** closely. All those pranks he pulls, and the way he acts, there is just something off about all of it." This caused many to think back to the things they had witnessed the boy doing over the years. In the end many started to agree with the woman, others wrote it off as a woman reading too deeply into things. None would believe it when they were proven wrong.

**Naruto's Apartment**

The Hokage decided to help the woman known as Mitarashi Anko learn a little more about Naruto's life. So he decided to bring her to his apartment, some of this was out of concern for how Naruto was living. What he saw in the apartment and at the front door was not what he expected.

The front door seemed to barely hang upon its hinges, and had several holes in it from pointed objects, as well as where people kicked it in.

The inside of the place was not any better. Many of the floor boards were torn up, busted, and leaving the floor much like a gopher home, with all of the holes left in it. The walls were about the same as the floor, and front door. Fist sized holes, and foot sized holes could be seen littering the interior of the place. What once was a window could be seen on the floor of the apartment, along with a rock that had something wrapped around it.

Raising an eyebrow, Anko walked over and removed the paper around the rock to see what it said.

"_Demon scum, why don't you just die, and leave this village in peace. It's bad enough you still live, but now you have become a Shinobi of Konoha, what next raping our children, destroying our homes, and feasting on our bodies! Be gone from this place when we come back."_

Growling, Anko handed over the paper to the confused Hokage. It didn't take long for his feelings to mirror Anko's.

"How long has this been going on, Naruto has never said…? I suppose though it isn't in his nature to. I am glad though he might be moving form here soon."

"I'm glad you are taking it so well Hokage-sama… But if this kid is going to be under my care, I'd like to know about these things. I mean look at this place. A rat wouldn't live here if it had a choice. I can SEE HIS BEDROOM FROM THE FRONT DOOR, and that isn't even by a door, it's from the holes in the wall.

"And what the hell is that smell. I've had enough, let's get back to your office. Once this boy is officially mine, he is leaving this place for a better one, at least if I have anything to say about it.

With a smile on his face, both vanished in clouds of smoke to his office.

**Hokage's office**

Once the two returned to the office, he wasted little time in taking his seat once again. Anko walked over and sat beside Kurenai as she looked over her own stack of files on her new team.

While reading she could feel the eyes of many of the men on her. Some of the leering could be because of the fishnet clothing she wore, with little else on aside from white shin guards, an orange skirt that went to mid-thigh, and an opened tan trench coat. She didn't care though; she often used this to her advantage over many people, friends and foes alike.

"Now then, I presume you all looked over the files for your teams, allow me to show you them in person now." With that, he revealed the small crystal ball he used to watch things in the village.

The first thing the ball focused on was a pink haired girl walking, or trying to, next to a raven haired boy.

"_Sasuke-kun, would you like to get to know each other better? That way we could be a better team…" asked Sakura with a blush on her cheeks._

"_No, just stay out of my way, along with the other dead weight I'll have to drag with me."_

All Jonin in the room looked towards Kakashi as he let out a sigh at the behavior of his soon to be team.

"Hm, I wonder where my third member is though." asked Kakashi to no one in particular.

The next image the ball showed everyone was one of a black haired boy with glasses, and a pale gray trench coat sitting under a tree, while a brown haired boy in a similar parka could be seen chasing a small white puppy around said tree. Above them was a pale haired blonde sitting on a branch in a purple top and purple skirt slit down the sides. She also had white bandages over the majority of her waist, and upper thighs.

Everyone could notice how annoyed she seemed to be with her current situation.

"_Why do I have to be on this freaky team? Why couldn't I have been with Sasuke-kun or at least Naruto now that he looks so hot…" whined the girl._

Many in the room raised an eye brow at that comment. From the photos, and past history with the young blonde, none ever mistook him for someone a girl would date.

Grinning, the Hokage turned it to the next group of Genin hopefuls. Slowly the image focused in on the group.

_There was an indigo haired girl in a pale beige jacket, and pale eyes. She wore dark blue pants, which just passed her knees, and had pale lavender colored eyes. Her eyes marked her as Hyuga Hinata, next in line to be Head of the Hyuga clan._

_Next was a black haired boy with his hair done in a top knot that spiked at the end, and he currently wore a content expression on his face. He was wearing a fish net shirt, and a gray jacket, with green trim. Nara Shikamaru._

_Next to Shikamaru was a brown haired boy, with his Hitaiate wraped around his forhead, and the clothe divided down the middle of his head seperating his hair. Around his neck was a white scarf that wrapped around, and would probably touch the ground when he was standing. He also wore a green shirt left open down the middle to reveal a white shirt with writing on the front. His hands were wrapped in bandages up to the middle of his forearm. Aside from his size, there was one other special thing that marked him as Akimichi Choji, that was the small red swirls that adorned his pudgy cheeks. _

_Finally the image came to a boy in black pants bandaged tightly around the ankles, with a kunai holster on his right leg. He wore a tight black shirt that showed off his body, much to the surprise of many, and it had a red open spiral on the front of the shirt. As the image slowly went further up they could see the six whisker like marks, three on each cheek, and the bright electric blue eyes._

What he finally showed shocked many of the older Jonin in the room. The boy's hair, which normally clumped together to form spikes of blonde hair, was not clumped, but more stringy, and still as wild. If it wasn't for the hitaiate of the boy it would be falling over his face.

'_My my, looks like he is already taking up after his father. I'll admit I'd never expected Naruto to change this much in a single night, but it seems to have been a good change.'_ thought the Hokage as he looked around the room at many shocked faces.

'_No… Arashi-sensei is dead, and he never had any children, did he? If he did I would have known, so why does the container for the Kyubi look so much like him… Could it have been a side effect of the sealing?'_ were the inner thoughts of Kakashi as his visible face paled, and eyes narrowed. He felt as if the thing was mocking him in some way, teasing him with a vision of his deceased Sensei. He silently made a vow then to find out what was going on, and why the boy known as Uzumaki Naruto looked like his former teacher, Kazama Arashi.

"My my, looks like the Yamanaka was right. He seems to be quite the looker now if I do say so myself. It's a shame he is so young though…" muttered Anko, earning a few glares, and some laughs from those gathered.

_The group looked like they were on top of the Academy, and just laying there, looking into the sky, watching the clouds and the day go by. Occasionally the girl known by all as Hyuga Hinata would look over towards Naruto, and smile. Shikamaru was doing his own fair share of glances, hardly believing that the one next to him could possibly be the loud mouthed blonde from days earlier._

The Hokage continued to show the different Genin groups, letting each Jonin see their teams, and learn a little about how they act by watching them. Finally the hour break promised to the group had passed, and each started to make their way to pick up their teams.

Out of the many leaving the room, one stayed behind for a few short minutes, hoping to get a few questions answered.

"Yes Anko? I presume you have a question about your team."

"Yeah, why is there a section in Naruto's folder missing? The section is the one dealing with his known jutsus, and his birth certificate. Is there something I should know about, or did it just fall out some where?" asked a suspicious Anko.

"Hmm, well I can say it didn't vanish, but for the rest, you will know when you meet Naruto, and he begins to trust you. The information in those sections is his to tell, and no one else. I can promise though, some of it will be a surprise to you" replied the wise old man with a mischievous smile on his face.

Sighing at the lack of answers, she turned to make her way to the Academy for her first group of victims. Looking over the files she knew it would be a hard time, but she still couldn't help but like them, they each seemed to have an untapped potential waiting to be revealed.

_**Konoha Academy**_

Everyone gathered back into the classroom, each group sitting with those that now formed their new teams. Many of those gathered seemed content, or happy with the current arrangements, while others seemed to be disgusted with them.

A few scant minutes after all were gathered in the room, Iruka could be seen walking in, with a number of people waiting outside of the room. Once in and sure everyone was accounted for, he started calling out the names of the teams, and their number. Once he did that he called for the Jonin Sensei to come in from the door. After that the group would walk out to where ever they would gather to do what ever the Jonin wanted for the first official group meeting.

He slowly checked off names till he came to Team 7.

"Akimichi Choji, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke, your Jonin sensei is Hatake Kakashi. Please come in Kakashi-san." spoke Iruka. He waited several seconds, and still no one came into the room. Sighing, Iruka walked to the door and opened it. Poking his head out he asked the gather Jonin, "Let me guess, Kakashi is late again right?"

Receiving nods in confirmation, he sighed and turned back in.

"Okay you three take a seat in the back of the room, your Sensei will be here shortly, I hope." the last part was muttered, so that no one could hear it. Shaking his head, he continued with the names.

"Team 8, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Yamanaka Ino, meet your Sensei, Yuhi Kurenai." with that the door opened to let the raven haired Jonin in.

"Please, follow me to training ground 8." with that she turned and left the room with the three young Genin in her footsteps.

"Now, Team 10, Hyuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Naruto, meet your Sensei, Mitarashi Anko." With those words the door opened to reveal Anko, who walked to the center of the room, and looked at her group. Giving a twisted smile, that sent shivers down their backs, she called out to them.

"HEY, I'm Mitarashi Anko, and I'm going to be your Sensei form this day forward. Follow me to the dango shop!" She shouted while cheerfully pumping her arm up and down in the air.

'_She's just like Naruto'_ thought Sakura.

'_Wow she is really crazy, be careful Shikamaru.' _was running through Choji's mind.

'_Humph, another annoying person.'_ was all Sasuke thought at her antics.

'_Why did I get such a crazy and troublesome woman for my Sensei?'_

'_Man, that smile of hers was creepy, I better watch out… Though she does dress in some interesting clothes… NO, I am not a pervert!'_ mentally shouted Naruto as he looked Anko over.

'_Oh… She seems so care free, and almost just like Naruto-kun. I hope I can be strong, and not let him and her down. For my father, and Naruto-kun, I must be strong.'_ were Hinata's thought as she followed Anko from the room.

The group followed the seemingly crazy Kunoichi down the streets of Konoha as she hummed a tune and lead them to a dango shop.

Once in she took them to a booth in the back of the shop, and sat down, after motioning for them to do the same. Shortly after they sat down, a waitress walked over with a tray filled with dango already, and set them down in front of the group. After setting down the dumplings, she took her leave.

"Now, why don't you guys tell me something about yourselves? Maybe something like your dreams, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and skills. I'll start things off for you. You know my name already. I _love _dango, all kinds of dumplings, and sweet bean soup. I **hate** spicy food. My hobbies are training in the Forest of Death, playing with kunai, sharpening kunai, and a few other things. My skills, well I can't tell you yet. Maybe after a few missions I'll let you know," she winked at the group there. "My dreams…," she paused as she moved a hand to hold the part of her neck where it meets her shoulders. "My dream is to kill a certain person who hurt me…"

Each of them could feel the room drop several degrees.

"Now, you lazy bastard it is your turn. Don't be lazy about this either, because if you do, I might have to talk with your mom. It's been a while since me and her had a girls night out."

After grumbling about bossy women, and a mild panic attack from the mentioning of his mom, he started to talk.

"You know my name already. I like puzzles, and strategy games. My favorite food would have to be mackerel and kelp. I hate boiled eggs. My hobbies are napping, cloud watching, and playing Go and Shogi. I hate people who can't see a person for who they truly are. My dream is to marry someone who is not ugly, or beautiful. Have two children, first a girl, then a boy. Retire after mydaughter is married, andmy son has a job and spend the rest ofmy life playing Shogi, and to die before my wife and children.

"My skills are mostly with my family jutsus, and a few basic academy level ones. My Taijutsu is decent, but nothing compared to some others in the class. Genjutsu I can break, but don't really care to learn, the same with Ninjutsu outside of my family's."

"Okay, so you quiet girl, your turn, and no stuttering or twiddling of fingers. We won't leave here until you can do this with out doing those two things. Also be sure to look up at us, the same thing applies to that."

Gulping, Hinata started to speak, only to stop, and take a deep breath to try to calm herself and her nerves. It didn't help that Naruto was sitting right next to her, trapping her in the booth's corner. She looked over to him, and noticed him nodding his head in encouragement to her.

Smiling, she once again took a steadying breathe before she started.

"My name is Hyuga Hinata. I like people who are nice to me, and to others, even when those people are rude to them. I dislike those who judge people without knowing them, and ridicule others. My favorite food is cinnamon rolls, and bean jam. My hobbies are flower pressing, training, and making medicinal salves. My dream is to become a great Medic-nin, and make my clan proud when I become the head of it. I have some skill in the Juken, the Taijutsu style of my clan. I'm not as good as others, but I know I can get better." She managed to finish with out stuttering or any of her other nervous and shy habits. She smiled to herself as she realized just how easy it was to do that.

'_Thank you Anko-sensei.'_

"Great, we could use a medic on the team, more so with the knuckle head sitting next to you." This earned her a glare from Naruto, even though he was smiling while doing it. "Now you, Yondaime wannabe, finish things up."

Hearing her say that caused Naruto to tense slightly as he heard someone compare him to his father. Shaking it off as just a coincidence, he ran a hand through his hair.

Next to him, Hinata also tensed slightly at the comparison. She looked over Naruto once again, and she too couldn't help but notice how similar he looked to the pictures of the Yondaime in their books, and the framed pictures in the library.

His moment of nervousness did not go unnoticed by Anko and Shikamaru though. Anko thought it might have had something to do with the sealing of Kyubi, I mean who couldn't hate a person who sealed a demon in you. Shikamaru just went into his thinking mode as he noticed the similarities between Naruto and the Yondaime.

'_Take away the whisker marks, and he could probably pass as a young Yondaime. But there was never any thing in our books that stated he had a family, or was ever married,' thought out Shikamaru._

"Uh, well my name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like…," he trailed off here as he scratched his chin while thinking. "Well I like ramen, though it is almost the only kind of food I have a chance to eat, roasted fish is good too. I also like my friends, like Hinata-chan, who do not judge others just from what they see on the outside. I hate the three minutes it takes to wait for ramen to cook, and arrogant self centered bastards like Sasuke.

"Some of my hobbies are playing pranks, and using that as training, swimming in the river and lake, training, and gardening." He whispered out the last part, a little ashamed of what people might think. "My dream… Well I think my dream is to become the greatest Hokage in history, and impress my family…" again he whispered the last part of his speech, and looked slightly downcast.

"My skills, um I have my **Oiroke no Jutsu, Henge, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Bunshin Daibakuha, and Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu**. I also have another ability I'm working on, but I can't say what it is yet."

Anko let out a small whistle at the list of the jutsus he could do. Sure some of them were low, but the **Kage Bunshin** related jutsus was nothing to laugh at. She couldn't help but wonder though what his unmentioned one was.

Shikamaru just looked at Naruto in amazement. He would have never thought that the boy across from him could have such high level Jutsus, and still fail the Academy three times.

"Great, so we have a lazy bum, a shy heiress, and someone who wants to be the Yondaime," again another flinch by Naruto followed this. "Normally, I give you guys some kind of test to see if you are ready to become a Genin team. But from what I saw earlier while at the Hokage's office, you guys get along pretty well, and should have no problem with teamwork.

"There are a few things we need to work on though, which we will start on tomorrow when I tell you your training schedule and mission schedule. We will meet here every day at 0900, showing up late earns you laps around Konoha, the first time is ten laps, every time after that you gain ten more. Tomorrow we will do our first mission, and then break for training. Until then you are dismissed, except for you Naruto, I want to talk with you."

With that Shikamaru quickly left, one of the few times he hurried to do something, while Naruto moved out of the booth to allow Hinata to leave. After a few parting words to his two friends, Naruto sat back down opposite of Anko.

"Okay kid, who are you, and what did you do with the normal trickster who performed some hilarious pranks?" asked Anko as her eyes sparkled dangerously.

Gulping at the intent hidden in her eyes he started to answer.

"Like I said, my name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Sure, and since when did you have a fan club watching you? I mean it's hard to notice all the girls ogling you right now from outside this place."

Groaning, he hung his head and set it down on the table as he started to speak.

"This is just the real me Sensei. No one really paid attention to me till I forgot to do laundry and had to dig up some old clothes. Besides, I'm thinking about burning those ugly orange jumpsuits, and doing some shopping, but that might be hard since no shop lets me in for the obvious reasons, which I'm sure you know."

"Yeah brat, that is why when you do go shopping, I'm going with you. Just let them try to throw you out with me there." She paused as she saw Naruto blushing and with a mortified look on his face. "Or, you could take your little girlfriend with you, I'm sure she could pick out some great clothes for you."

Naruto raised his head to look up at his Sensei, with a confused look plastered upon it. "Girlfriend, I don't have one. Heck the only girl that is my friend seems to be Hinata-chan." he paused as he thought of that. "Now that you mention it though, I might ask her to come along. I can trust her opinion on things since she is really honest."

'_He is really that dense?'_

"Okay fine and I'm glad you are getting rid of those orange clothes. If you didn't, I'd burn them myself. Now get lost, you are going to need all the sleep you can get for tomorrow's torture session."

As Naruto got up to leave, he glanced back at her. Seeing this she flashed a smile that seemed to sweet and innocent on her face. Naruto couldn't help but shudder, and dread what was coming up in the next few days for him, and the other members of the team.

**_A/N:_**

How many of you thought I wasn't going to continue? Sorry about the delay, but I am hoping between stories doing work. I think this chapter turned out fairly well, if not I can depend upon you to let me know. That way I can avoid making the same mistakes next chapter. I didn't say much about Naruto's family, but he was rather busy. As for me missing Konohamaru, well that will be answered next chapter as well. So I hope you enjoyed this part of the story. Let me know what you think about the teams.

**EDIT:** I added Choji into the part where the Hokage is checking over each team. I can't believe I forgot aout him... Thanks to Dragon Man 180 for pointing that out to me.


	3. Shougeki no Fasuto Dangan

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Naruto_, or s-_CRY-ed_. I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'**_Demon Thoughts'_**

* * *

Previously:

"Okay kid, who are you, and what did you do with the normal trickster who performed some hilarious pranks?" asked Anko as her eyes sparkled dangerously.

Gulping at the intent hidden in her eyes he started to answer.

"Like I said, my name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Sure, and since when did you have a fan club watching you? I mean it's hard to notice all the girls ogling you right now from outside this place."

Groaning, he hung his head and set it down on the table as he started to speak.

"This is just the real me Sensei. No one really paid attention to me till I forgot to do laundry and had to dig up some old clothes. Besides, I'm thinking about burning those ugly orange jumpsuits, and doing some shopping, but that might be hard since no shop lets me in for the obvious reasons, which I'm sure you know."

"Yeah brat, that is why when you do go shopping, I'm going with you. Just let them try to throw you out with me there." She paused as she saw Naruto blushing and with a mortified look on his face.

"Or, you could take your little girlfriend with you, I'm sure she could pick out some great clothes for you."

Naruto raised his head to look up at his Sensei, with a confused look plastered upon it. "Girlfriend, I don't have one. Heck the only girl that is my friend seems to be Hinata-chan." he paused as he thought of that. "Now that you mention it though, I might ask her to come along. I can trust her opinion on things since she is really honest."

'_He is really that dense?'_

"Okay fine and I'm glad you are getting rid of those orange clothes. If you didn't, I'd burn them myself. Now get lost, you are going to need all the sleep you can get for tomorrow's torture session."

As Naruto got up to leave, he glanced back at her. Seeing this she flashed a smile that seemed to sweet and innocent on her face. Naruto couldn't help but shudder, and dread what was coming up in the next few days for him, and the other members of the team.

* * *

**Shougeki no Fa-suto Dangan**

Naruto was just about to leave the small Dango shop until he remembered something else his Sensei had said to him.

"_Sure, and since when did you have a fan club watching you? I mean it's hard to notice all the girls ogling you right now from outside this place."_

'_That's right, all of those crazy girls are outside waiting for me; how in the world am I supposed to slip past all of them?'_

Sighing in frustration, Naruto stopped and leaned against the small bar of the shop to ponder his predicament.

Leaning against the bar, with his hand on his chin earn him a number of looks from the other occupants of the small shop, and more then one double take for who he looked like. Some of the occupants were wondering what the boy was mumbling to him self about, and why he was swearing revenge on the creatures known as "fan-girls". The final thing that had people shying away from him was the fact that he was muttering about never forgetting to do laundry again, and make his crazy psycho sensei go shopping with him.

Sighing to himself once again, he decided upon a course of action; make a break for it through an army of **Kage Bunshins**. Not what he really wanted to do since it would eat up a lot of chakra, but it seemed like the only viable and safe way to get out with his clothes in tact.

Standing up straight, he brought his hands, and fixed his fingers into a cross like seal, and focused a large amount of chakra into it. While solemnly saying, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu"** he generated a small squad of Bunshins, and moved himself into the crowd of copies.

With a defiant war cry from each of the newly formed blondes, they charged out of the shop and into a mass of girls; each reaching to a blonde, and grabbing, hoping to get something from him to commemorate the occasion.

So caught up in the mad dash were the girls, that they never noticed another Anko leaving the small shop, and take to the roof tops; then run from the area at full speed, with a very Naruto-like grin on her face.

Once "Anko" was several blocks away from the bar, she raised her fingers up, into the boar sign, and simple said, "**Kai **(release)". She was then obscured from sight by a large cloud of billowing white smoke. Several seconds later a gentle wind came through, and whisked to smoke away revealing a grinning blonde hair boy, with three whisker-like scars on each cheek.

Back at the small shop, the large group of Narutos suddenly vanished with a popping sound, and only leaving clouds of smoke, and several angry women.

"NO, I wanted the mini-Yondaime!" shouted several of the depressed women; none of them knowing just who they had been chasing.

Currently said blonde was busy walking towards his apartment, and trying to keep to the back allies in order to hide from the rabid women who have started to hunt him down. He was nearly to his block when he stopped in the alley way, and looked up towards the sky.

"Hm, the clouds are nice today, maybe I won't go home just yet…" with that said, he turned and started off towards the eastern forest surrounding Konoha, and the Training Grounds.

After speeding his way across the village he finally made it to the training ground, and went deeper into the forest after crossing a small red bridge. He continued on till he came to a clearing with three large stumps, and a large obsidian stone monument. On this obsidian monument was the names of the Shinobi who died while serving their village and country, and held painful memories for many active Shinobi, and civilians.

Once Naruto made it to the center of the clearing by the stone he paused for a few moments; then turned back towards the direction he came from.

"I know you are there so come on out who ever you are." called out Naruto to the trees surrounding him.

Several minutes went by with Naruto never taking his eyes away from one tree that stood at the pathway to the clearing. Finally after over ten minutes the branches of the tree started to move, and parted to make way for a silver haired Cyclopes. The silver haired figure gracefully jumped down from the tree, and landed on the opposite side of the clearing from Naruto.

Neither figure took their eyes off of the other, each waiting for the other person to make the first move. To them it was a delicate balance in what felt like a life or death struggle. Who ever made the first move could be leaving themselves open to a deathblow from the person across from them. Blue and black eyes meet each other and neither one was giving the other a glimpse to what they were thinking.

Naruto was the first to break the silence by letting out an exasperated sigh as he walked towards one of the large stumps in the clearing.

"You obviously can't be an assassin sent to kill me because of the Kyubi; if you were you would have made your move sooner, or never come out in the first place. You look like a Jonin, perhaps former ANBU judging by the way you walk lightly, and suppress your chakra. So tell me why have you been following me?"

Kakashi was shocked to hear what the container had to say. Why would he be an assassin? Did this mean the boy had to deal with assassins before, how come it was never reported to the ANBU to investigate?

'_I have to admit though, this kid is good, better then his records show. But is it his skills, or is it the Kyubi's doing?'_

"Not bad kid, you are better then your Academy records say. I'm surprised though; if you were always this good, why not put the effort into your Academy work more? You could have been higher up in the rankings, perhaps even Rookie of the Year." spoke Kakashi as he leaned against a tree near by. He'd admit that the boy did not look hostile right now, but he did not want to take any chances.

After a snort, and kicking a rock by his foot Naruto turned to look the man in the eye once again with a scowl on his face.

"Tell me something, if you were hated by the people of the village, and didn't know why, would you want them to know you were smarter then you look?"

"Hm perhaps you are right, but would that not give you the attention you always wanted? It might also make other students, instructors, and villagers believe you could become Hokage some day like you always yell about." was the even reply from the Copy-nin as he pulled out his little orange book from his side pouch. The twitching of Naruto's eye did not go unnoticed by the man, who smiled under his mask.

"Yeah it could have but again, how or why would I do that if I'm being mistreated by the teachers at the Academy, fighting for my life, or wondering if I will have a home to go back to after school? I had more important things to worry about besides showing off. The title of Rookie of the Year is nothing but a name, the truly talented people hide their skills and work the system to their advantage." scoffed Naruto.

"Oh so I suppose failing the Graduation exam three times was your way of "working the system"? I have to say, not a very smart thing to do. If it wasn't for the incident with Mizuki, you might not have graduated at all this time."

This time Naruto's eyes flashed open, placing Kakashi in their piercing gaze. Unconsciously, Naruto started to flex his right hand, opening and closing the appendage as if he was getting ready for a battle. This action didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi, as he started to slowly place himself on guard incase the boy was crazy enough to attack him.

Gritting his teach, and with a great deal of malice and hate in his voice, Naruto spoke up. "I would have graduated this year if it wasn't for a medical problem I was having at the time of the exam. I couldn't focus my chakra properly because of that. THAT was the ONLY REASON I DIDN"T PASS IT!" roared Naruto.

"Hm, if you say so. But it seems like I might have over estimated you. I will commend you on learning the **Kage Bunshin** related Jutsus, but they honestly do not take much work to do. They are not about finesse or control, just pure power, so they are nothing to brag about too much."

Naruto started to release a low growl from his mouth. It was then he started to feel a familiar tingling sensation in his right arm, this time there was no pain, just what felt like a surge of power went washing over his right arm, and down to the tips of his fingers.

Slowly a strange aura started to form around Naruto as a kaleidoscope of colors started to dance around the clearing. Kakashi quickly jump up from his leaning post and snatched a kunai from his holster as he readied himself for what ever attack Naruto was about to unleash. He was surprised to see larges gouts of earth and parts of the surrounding forest vanish in the same light that was dancing around Naruto's right side. Seeing this, he wasted little time in uncovering his left eye, and revealing the **Sharingan** to the young man.

Naruto's arm raise into the air facing towards Kakashi as it split into three sections, and then reformed with red, silver and gold armor around it. Slowly three red fins started to form on Naruto's back from the same light. After this was done the light started to fade away leaving Naruto with his arm encased in the strangest armor Kakashi had ever seen.

Kakashi blinked his eyes carefully, not believing what he had just witnessed. The boy took the chakra from the surrounding areas, plants, rocks, and the earth, and reshaped it into something entirely different then what it came from.

Seeing the shocked expression on the man's face, Naruto could help but grin.

"How do you like it, pretty cool isn't it? This is why I failed the test this year, not because of my skill. I had something waking up inside of me, and this was it, my Bloodline Limit. You are one of the first to see it besides Jiji, Iruka-Sensei, Hinata-chan, and Mizuki. I'll admit I don't know how it works right now, nor do I have a name for it. But I do know something that I didn't know earlier, and that is how to activate it, anger."

Kakashi continued looking at the boy and his new arm, trying to gauge what it could do, and what dangers it might present to him.

'_I can't tell how heavy it is, or how it might limit his mobility and agility. From the looks of it though, it can't be that heavy. Is it just armor though, or is it a weapon. I can't wait to find out; if he even makes a move to attack I will _end_ this quickly.'_

"I don't want to fight you here, and destroy the Memorial Stone, but if you want to fight me, then I will. I'll ask you one more time, why were you following me, and what do you want? If you came here just to pick a fight with me, then fight. If you came here to insult me, fine, but don't expect me not to get some form of payback down the road you one eyed bastard." delivered Naruto in an even, emotionless voice, one that cause a slight shiver to run down Kakashi's spine, once again reminding him of his Sensei.

"Very well then, I did not come for a fight, but merely to ask you a question."

"And your name is what again? Sorry but unless I know who I am talking to, I will not answer any of your questions."

"Hm, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you my name would it? My name is Hatake Kakashi, and my question is simple; do you know your family, such as who your father and mother were?" asked Kakashi finally. It was only after he finished that he realized how terrible the wording was, and then he started to feel an immense amount of killing intent being focused on him. He could feel a cold sweat starting to build up on the back of his neck, and run down his spine.

"Why the hell does it matter to YOU? If my family meant ANYTHING to YOU or this VILLAGE I would never have been treated like I was! As far as I'm concerned you are just trash like the others who attacked me, or insulted me. What I know of my family and what I don't know are none of your concerns."

Kakashi started to sweat more, never before had he thought a child could possess such anger towards another living being.

'_Is this what the village has done to him? Have they truly been that cruel to the boy?'_

"It you truly cared, and wanted to know perhaps you would have asked me earlier in my life, and maybe helped me. But the fact that your face just blends in with all the other hate filled faces just shows you did nothing. Yeah, now that I know your name, I remember you all too well. To be more exact, I remember nothing about you, except the cold eyes, the ones the villagers give me.

"I wouldn't have thought that the star pupil of my…" Naruto paused as he was about to let slip the news of his father to this man, and quickly fixed the problem, "of my hero the Yondaime, would be the type of person to not listen to the final wish of his dieing teacher. After all, "in the ninja world, those who don't follow the rules are considered trash, but those who don't protect their comrades are lower than trash." isn't that right Hatake-san?" The last sentence was nearly growled out by Naruto as he started to turn and walk away from the shocked silver haired man.

Kakashi could only watch as the boy walked away, and as he did the armor on Naruto's arm started to disintegrate into nothing once again.

'_Wh-where did he hear that? I've only said that to a few people, and I know none of them talk to him, so how does he know what Obito said to me? Damn this boy, each time I see him more questions pop up, but this time I _AM_ going to get an answer from him.'_

Kakashi snapped out of his daze and was about to go after Naruto when he suddenly heard an all too familiar voice behind him shout out.

**Sen'eijashu **(Hidden Shadow Snake Hand)

Seconds after the shout he could feel the scaly caress of multiple snakes wrapping around his body, preventing his arms and legs from moving, and causing him to fall to the group.

"Kakashi, I'd like to ask you to leave my students alone. If he doesn't want to talk to you, then honor that, and don't bother him again unless it is important business. Understood Kakashi?" finished Anko with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Kakashi only grunted an acknowledgement as he continued to try to wiggle out of his predicament, only to have the snakes vanish in clouds of smoke.

"Now why were you stalking my student? Don't you have your own to torture?" she paused for a second, and then an incredulous look came to her face. "Oh Kami please, don't tell me you are into boys!"

This only caused the man to sputter as he was about to answer until she screamed that out at him.

"NO! I just wanted to ask a few questions, which I'm sure you heard." he paused as he looked at the woman before he continued with a mischievous tone coming to his voice. "My dear Anko, don't tell me you are into younger men now? Abusing the teacher student relationship, I am disappointed in you Anko."

He quickly started to dodge a string of Kunai that were aimed at the main difference between males and females by rolling along the ground until he was safely behind one of the training posts.

"I WAS JUST JOKING WITH YOU ANKO! NO NEED TO TAKE IT SO SERIOUSLY!" shouted Kakashi as he hoped to save some dignity from his exploits today.

"Seriously now Anko, what were you doing following him around? I know he is your first student, but what made you want to observe him?" asked Kakashi while still hidden behind the log.

"Simple, I wanted to see the kid's day to day life. I check his apartment earlier, and it wasn't even worthy of the rats that lived there. But after talking with them earlier, I wanted to see how he reacted to everyone else around him. I'm surprised the kid could stand the glares and the animosity directed at him from the little time I've been watching him.

"I've also learned something else, something that makes me toss out majority of his record from the Academy. Naruto is perhaps the bets ninja of this village. He has been able to hide his true feelings and self behind a disguise to MAKE people underestimate him, just like you did. His skill level is unknown to me as of now, and so it that strange thing he did to you just now."

Kakashi slowly nodded his head, realizing just how badly people may have underestimated the blonde hair, former idiotic boy.

"What makes you think there is more to him though Anko? Until now has never shown that kind of skill, maybe it's just a fluke." asked Kakashi haphazardly.

Anko could only shake her head in frustration at the silver haired man.

"For a genius, you sure are blind Kakashi. But to answer your question, it comes from something he said to me after our team meeting."

"And what did he just say to earn the interest of the resident Sadist Queen of Konoha?" queered Kakashi again as he dodge more kunai and shuriken.

"Simple, he said, "_This is just the real me Sensei." _He also mentioned how he used his pranks as training methods during this time, and while at the academy; which you might have heard if you show up on time for once. When I heard him say that, and see the way he was acting, I knew something was different. I think I know what caused this change to, and I'm glad it happened as it will make the team function with ease." finished Anko as he started to gather he kunai and shuriken from around the logs and clearing.

The entire time Anko spent picking up her very sharp, and deadly pointed instrument, Kakashi was sure to stay hidden behind something.

"So you are saying he pulled the wool over our eyes, over the eyes of everyone in the village?"

"Yes and no Kakashi. Yes because he did trick us into thinking that he was just a buffoon, and a no talent hack, that is everyone but perhaps three people. Umino Iruka, Hyuga Hinata, and Sandaime-sama seem to have known the boy was hiding something, but were never sure what. Each of them also believed in his skills from what I've gathered, and hardly ever questioned him; except for Iruka when he was playing pranks on people.

"Just think about it Kakashi and look back on what you have seen of the boy, and then try to view it from a new perspective. You might be surprised at some of the things you see. Besides, I like this new him, and knowing his skill at misdirection and subterfuge only makes me more certain of my agreement for taking this team; I think they will be one of the best teams at what I plan to have them specialize in." she finished this off with a malicious grin as she turned away from Kakashi and started to walk the same path Naruto left on.

"And what might that be Anko-_chan_?" Asked Kakashi as he purposely added the suffix to get under the skin of the raven haired woman once again; despite being the target of numerous projectiles earlier.

Grinding her teeth together, she paused mid-step and turned towards the Jonin. With a voice that promised him immense pain should he do the same thing again, she responded while grinning impishly at him.

"Simple, something that this village hasn't seen in some time, Team 10 will become the future assassination and sabotage experts under my training." with those words she smiled sweetly, and started to hum a cheery tune as she walked away from the man.

* * *

**Nara House**

Shikamaru was hardly ever thankful to be home, mostly because of his mother, Yoshino; but today was one of the few times he was glad to be home. One of the reasons was because of his new Sensei, Mitarashi Anko, who seemed to be scarier then his own mother. She also confirmed a view Shikamaru has always had on women, they are all troublesome.

He could hardly believe how he had managed to get someone who seemed like a female Naruto. Hyperactive, bossy, and seemed to have a glint in her eyes that meant trouble for her students, the thought of her made him shiver. He could hardly believe his luck; he would have rather been stuck with Ino then with this woman. At least with Ino he knew how to shut her up, which was just mentioning Sasuke. With this one, he had no idea what would work.

Then there was the other thing that was bothering him, Uzumaki Naruto. Something was different about him, something more then what he had told Kiba earlier that day. The blonde hardly seemed like himself today, or the version he had come accustomed to in the years he knew him. He no longer looked the loud mouthed, hyperactive, and most of all, talent less dead-last of their class.

Naruto somehow transformed over night, and became a new person. He was more subdued, and less like the idiot everyone thought him to be. The fact that the blonde could boast he knew three A rank Ninjutsu, and a B rank Ninjutsu, all of which he never showed any knowledge of before, made Shikamaru wonder just _who_ Uzumaki Naruto was.

Sighing, he slowly made his way into his home, praying that his mother was out shopping. But steeping in he could tell his **bad** luck was still with him.

As he stepped into his small home, he could smell food being cooked in the kitchen by his mother, and hear her humming happily to herself while she went about doing it. Mentally praying he could escape to his room without notice, he tried to quietly shut the door with out her noticing.

Once again his bad luck struck as he heard his father's voice calling to him from the small study.

"Hey Shika, come on in here and tell me about your team and Sensei. I heard through the grapevine that you were placed with Ino and Choji; sounds like another Ino-Shika-Cho group in the making." spoke his father with a pleased tone to his voice, if only he knew the truth though.

"OH SHIKA you're home! Just in time for your special dinner tonight in honor of officially becoming a Ninja. I even invited your team over for dinner, I thought it would be nice for us all to be together tonight and celebrate." came his mother's voice as she walked into the room with a bowl as she stirred the contents.

Sighing, he turned to both of his parents from the stairs up to his room.

"It's too much trouble to sit down and talk about this, I'm going to take a nap." he droned as he started up to his room, only to freeze at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Nara Shikamaru, you get down here RIGHT NOW and tell us about your day, or else you will be stuck helping me in the kitchen the rest of the week." yelled out his mother, happiness and all the cheer forgotten. She was now in what Shikamaru liked to call slave driver mode, and when she was like this, not even he would act normal.

"Fine, but I know you won't like what I have to say." answered the younger Nara as he walked into the study with his father.

"Well I'll be the judge of that my boy, not let's hear about your team and Sensei."

"Well, first you were wrong about Choji, Ino and I being on the same team. Ino was placed on Team 8 with Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino, under Yuhi Kurenai. Choji was placed on team 7 with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura under Hatake Kakashi." started Shikamaru as he flopped down into a chair opposite of his mom and dad.

"Well, that is a surprise, though Ino's group does compliment each other in ways. Being under Konoha's premiere Genjutsu master might even help Ino along some. They do already act a lot like each other." as he finished the last sentence he received a smack to the back of his head by his wife.

"Dang, sorry, but it's the truth. Choji is lucky though son, he has a great teacher, albeit I am a little worried about how he will progress under Kakashi. The only reason he even bothers taking a team is because the council makes him, but the earlier ones were just to prepare him for the sole Uchiha loyal to Konoha. So he may be a little narrow sighted when it comes to teaching the other members of his team."

"Yes, I wonder if Choza knew about this. I wonder though, why did Hokage-sama and Umino-san change the teams up? They wouldn't do something like that with out a good reason, right honey?" chipped in his mother as she sat on the arm of his father's chair; the contents of the bowl forgotten.

"Well, tell us about your team Shika, from what I remember the other day only one other child in your class graduated, Hyuga Hinata."

"That's what I thought to, at least until this morning. But it seems some how one other graduated since yesterday, though I don't know how he did it."

Shikaku was surprised at this, because at the mention of the event his mind flashed back to the events of the previous night. As he looked over to his wife, he could see the same thoughts flowing across her face.

"Well, don't keep us waiting son, go on and tell us. No matter what it should be an honor to be placed on the same team as the Hyuga Heiress, and I'm sure you have one of the best Sensei's out there; Hiashi would want the best for his daughter I would think."

"Um, I don't know about our Sensei being the best out there… I was placed on Team 10 with Hyuga Hinata, and um, well Uzumaki Naruto." he stopped to wait for the explosion he was sure to get.

His father didn't disappoint him either.

"WHAT, how, no WHY did they let him graduate! He stole the Forbidden Scroll of Seals for crying out loud! He should be arrested and sent to Ibiki!" It was after his second sentence, and a hard slap on the back of his head from his wife, did he realize what he had just said. He turned back to his son to see his reaction to what he had just let slip out.

'_That's what all that commotion about last night. There were so many people running around and yelling it was hard to get back to sleep, and that explosion not far from our house didn't help matters any.'_

Coming out of his thoughts, and seeing his parents looking at him intently, he decided to speak up; least they think something was wrong.

"I was wondering what all those racket last night, and how Naruto knew four high was ranking Ninjutsu. He must have learned them from the scroll last night or something, but I still don't know why or how he graduated…"

"Listen Shika, you can't tell anyone about what I just said. I wasn't even supposed to talk about it, but hearing that _HE_ is now a Genin, I can't help but feel angry; I just don't think he deserves that honor."

His mother cast what looked like a disapproving look at her husband then turned to look back towards Shikamaru with what looked like disappointment at her husband in her eyes.

"Shika-kun, why don't you continue, you never told us who your Sensei was after all." asked his mother trying to change the subject and cheer things up a little.

"Gah, I swear dad this lady is worst then mom," he paused at the glare his mother sent him, "she is hyper just like Naruto used to be, and scares me to death with this look in her eye."

He paused again as he saw what looked to be a pleased smile on his mother's face, and one of horror on his father's.

"Really dear, I wonder if I know her or anything, she sounds just like the type of person who could get you moving when I'm not around." replied his mother with an all too sweet voice. His father only snorted at what his mother said, and shook his head, as he imagined what his son might be going through.

"Well her name is Mitarashi Anko, and like I said, she seems really crazy. I mean she said she _loves_ training in the Forest of Death, and her dream is to kill some guy, though she never said who."

He watched as what seemed like sadness, and understanding passed across his parent's faces, adding to his growing confusion concerning his new team.

"Well, don't worry about that Shika, but I'm sure you will have your hands full with her. She might just be the only woman past your mother that I fear, and that's saying a lot. Now tell me, what kind of team you are supposed to be?" asked his father once again, slightly ashamed of what he just admitted to his son.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak, but closed it back up. The reason why was simple, he had never asked, nor was he told what they were supposed to be.

"I have no idea, she never said anything to us, and I honestly didn't think that our team would have a specific purpose. I mean with Naruto and Hinata, we seem to be a group just thrown together. I can't really see how any of our skills mesh together, except for Hinata's and my own."

His father just sat there with his hand cupping his chin as he thought about what he knew of the four people being spoken of.

"Well, Anko is a Tokubetsu Jonin, or Special Jonin. I think her area of expertise is assassinations, and sabotage. She could be training you to take up that field, which our family can excel in, as could the Hyugas. Though I'm not sure about _him_ and how he fits into this picture." once again Shikaku was greeted with a rather _hard_ slap to the back of his head, this time with a rolling pin from his wife.

"Anko-chan is a very nice person, but it takes her a while to warm up to people. She was hurt in the past by someone very close to her, and resents that person to this day. So you be on your best behavior Shika, because if I hear about any trouble from you, I'll make you regret it. Now go wash up for dinner, your friends will be here soon." finished his mother in a motherly tone, one that was the complete opposite of her earlier threat.

He was about to head up the stairs once again when his father's voice called him back into the room.

"What did you mean Anko is as hyper as Naruto _used_ to be Son?" asked a puzzled Shikaku. All he knew of the boy was his antics, and that he was the vessel for the Kyubi. He had heard and seen some of the boy's pranks, and sadly fallen to the **Oiroke no Jutsu**, which he never told his wife about.

"Eh, well he isn't hyper any more. He isn't bouncing around off the walls, challenging Sasuke to fights, or drooling after Sakura. He has quieted down some, and seems to be talking more with Hinata, when before a day ago those two hardly ever talked. Him and Hinata even sat down down and watched clouds with me and Choji this afternoon, after the teams were announced."

His father could only raise a brow at the changes listed in the boy, while his mother seemed to be, smiling? She almost seemed happy about the changes for some reason.

"Anything else Shika-kun?" asked his mother.

"Well, he had new clothes on, which he said was because he didn't do his laundry. It also seems that under all those baggy clothes he is a very different person, which he contributed to his pranks; saying they were training exercises or something else troublesome."

"Is that all? The boy was probably just trying to brag, and I doubt he looked that great in dirty clothes." responded his father.

"That's not all dad, the clothes weren't his normal orange jumpsuit or anything, but a black shirt and pants. With his hitaiate wrapped around his forehead, and with bed hair, he looked almost exactly like how I would imagine a young Yondaime." answered the young Nara as he turned to walk away; never seeing the shocked looks on their faces.

The elder Naras were still in shock at what their son had said, both hardly believing the news.

Shikaku however was slightly angry. After checking to make sure Shikamaru was up in his room, he voiced his opinion to his wife, though reluctantly.

"That bastard demon is mocking us now, trying to make us see him as the Yondaime. He should have been killed the day he was born to save us all the trouble." muttered the older man.

"SHIKAKU, don't let me ever hear you say such a thing again! He was only, and is still only an innocent child who was forced to take this burden! Would you still feel the same if our son had to bear that burden? I doubt you would, and I doubt you would treat any other child that way if they had family there to support them." yelled his wife as he started to swing her rolling pin at his head, catching him every so often.

"And while I'm at it HONEY, why don't you use that brain that you and Shika are so proud of! Would the Yondaime just randomly pick a child from Konoha to do this? I would think our beloved leader was smarter then that, and had more respect for our village." with those final words she huffed away back to the kitchen, and left a very stunned husband; who could not believe what his wife had just said.

* * *

**Konoha**

Naruto was almost to his house when he heard the tell tale signs of a box scrapping against the rocky streets of Konoha. Giving himself a small smile, he continued walking on while whistling, and listening to the box behind him.

After several minutes, and finding his way to an isolated street, he rounded on the box, and pointed an accusing finger at it.

"Come on out Konohamaru! That disguise is a joke, no rocks are perfectly square, nor do they have eyes holes!" shouted Naruto at the small box, and smiled as he remembered first meeting the young boy.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

Naruto had just been caught again after one of his pranks, this one involving him and several cases of Academy toilet paper and the Hyuga Manor. He didn't come away without a few **tenketsu **(chakra pressure points) closed, but he felt it was more then worth it after the beating given to him days earlier by two Hyuga Branch members. To see the manor wrapped up in toilet paper, and see it hanging from the trees brought a smile to his face.

Now though he was starting to regret it as he was brought in front of the Hokage's doors, and was awaiting his punishment for the act. Not even five minutes of waiting, and he was finally called in, and sat in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Now Naruto, why would you do such a thing, as wrap the Hyuga compound in toilet paper? Surely you know who they are, correct?" asked the aging man to the ten year old blonde in front of him.

"Yeah, but they started it Jiji!" shouted the blonde.

"Just how did they do that Naruto? If they did something to you, you know all you had to do was tell me, and I would take care of the situation." spoke the Hokage sympathetically to his young charge.

"Yeah, sure you would… No one ever believes a thing I say, and I doubt anyone would think the ALL MIGHTY HYUGAS would do anything like beat an orphan for no reason." whispered the young boy as his face darkened.

"Besides, the only nice one of them all is Hinata, she isn't as stuck up as the rest of her family, at least not in school or anything." added Naruto with a furious nodding of his head, agreeing with himself.

Sighing, Sarutobi knew it had to have been something like this, and sadly Naruto was probably correct in his assumption. He could verbally reprimand them, but anything past that would not be allowed, or frowned upon by the council. It was times like this that he wished he had performed the duties of the Yondaime ten years earlier, and perhaps then Naruto would have had a better life.

"Naruto, they may have deserved what you did, but you…" Sarutobi was cut off as a side door to his office flew open, and a small boy wearing a long blue scarf, and brown hair came charging in.

"I'll be Hokage now!" shouted the youth as he charged forward about to throw a shuriken at the Sandaime.

Sarutobi could only sigh and rub his temples as his grandson once again tried to perform a sneak attack.

'_What is this, the 15th one today?_ sigh_ I suppose it is that time of day though, I suppose dealing with Naruto made me forget about Konohamaru.'_

While he was in his thoughts his grandson managed to trip over his own feet, and was sent crashing down onto the floor. This caused Naruto to start laughing at the young Sarutobi, and only enraged Konohamaru. It was also at this time that the Tokubetsu Jonin who was supposed to be watching him came running up.

"Honorable Grandson! You must not run off like that! If you ever wish to become the Hokage you must do as I say." shouted the man dressed in black, with his hitaiate wrapped around his forehead, and the clothe covering his hair. He also had on dark round glasses, which seemed to be too large for his face; as he had to constantly push them back up onto the bridge of his nose.

'_Oh no, the demon child is here now… I mustn't let Konohamaru mingle with the likes of him.'_

"Hey you, you were the one who tripped me weren't you!" shouted the brown haired boy as he jumped to his feet to point an accusing finger at Naruto. This only caused the blonde to cease his laughter, and grabbed the brunette by the front of his shirt.

"You tripped over your own dumb feet you CLUTZ! Don't blame me because you aren't coordinated enough to run straight!" shouted the blonde as he raised a fist high into the air, readying himself to pound the smaller seven year old upside the head; only to pause as he heard the arrogant voice of Ebisu.

"You rogue, don't you dare lay a hand on the Honorable Grandson of the Third Hokage!" shouted the Jonin from the door.

This only caused Konohamaru to smile in victory, and a scowl to cross Naruto's face.

"So, you think you could be treated special because you're the grandson of the Hokage? LIKE I CARE YOU BRAT!" bellowed Naruto as he hit Konohamaru upside the head, knocking the boy to the ground, and causing Ebisu to nearly have a heart attack. The Hokage himself could barely contain his amusement with the situation as he watched Naruto storm out of the room, punishment forgotten.

Shortly after Naruto left, the Hokage could see Konohamaru regain his senses, and follow after the blonde, causing Ebisu another heart attack.

* * *

_**Present**_

Naruto just continued to smile as the box exploded in plumes of multi-colored smoke, and the sound of three coughing children could be heard. One voice starts to stand out among the three, and nasally voice that sounded like the owner suffered from a serious cold.

"I think we used cough too much cough gunpowder again cough Konohamaru." finished the voice and went into a fit of coughing.

Gradually the cloud of smoke cleared to reveal what had become the Konohamaru Corps.

In the middle was Konohamaru, wearing his blue scar, gone though was his small little gray helmet that covered his head. Instead he let his hair stand up and flow naturally, only to be held back by a pair of goggles similar to Naruto's own.

Next to him stood the brains of the group, and lover of math; Udon. He wore what appeared to be a blue shirt, with a white stripe down the middle where is buttoned up, and blue shorts. He also wore goggles that were set above his large round coke-bottle style glasses, and under his mushroom shaped hair-dew. The most distinguishing thing about him to Naruto was the ever present snot hanging from the nose, confirming the boy seemed to suffer from some life long cold.

Finally was there was the female member of the group, and self proclaimed sexiest Kunoichi in preschool Moegi. Her face was normal except for her cheeks which seemed to always have a rosy hue to them. She too wore goggles atop of her brow, and had her hair in two large tuffs of pigtails, that stood up on the top of her head. With her brown hair, it only helped to imagine it as clumps of hay, or even a broom.

"Hey boss, we missed you yesterday. We really wanted to congratulate you on graduating and maybe play ninja or something." yelled out Konohamaru, hardly noticing Naruto's new appearance. He was too busy talking about plans, and playing Ninja to notice anything else out right now.

"Wow boss, sniff you look really cool now sniff" stated Udon as he noticed Naruto's newest attire.

Moegi seconded the opinion as she also cheer for her "Boss's" new look, and claimed that he would make any girl happy. That of course brought a blush to his cheeks, and caused him to look around franticly for any groupies.

Konohamaru had finally stopped his talking, and took in Naruto's new look as well, and smiled to his "brother".

"Wow Nii-san, you look really cool. You even look like a great Ninja already now." exclaimed the young Sarutobi.

"Yeah I know, and thanks that means a lot to me. Sorry I couldn't play with you yesterday, but I had a super top secret mission to do, where I learned a lot of cool things, but I can't show you right now, sorry guys." He smiled as there was a chorus of "aaaawws" from his followers.

"To make it up to you though, how about we play a special game? One that I can't do with out you guys, so how about it?" This had them hooked right away, jumping up and down wondering what their boss could need them for.

"Alright, this game, well maybe I should call it a special mission for you guys, what do you say?"

"YEAH, we'll help you with any mission boss!" shouted Konohamaru and Moegi, while he got a nod of agreement from Udon.

"Okay, the mission is to… Help me with my laundry!" he yelled, causing the three followers to face plant onto the ground as Naruto laughed.

* * *

**Dango Shop, 9 a.m.**

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata had each arrived early for the meeting, about thirty minutes early to be exact. While they waited they talked every now and then about mundane things in the world. Shikamaru spent majority of his time listening though, as well as Hinata, each in their own worlds. Shikamaru was watching the clouds float by, and thinking about the events of the previous day, at diner with Ino's and Choji's family. While nothing major happened, there seemed to be mixed feelings about Shikamaru being on a team with Naruto, as well as Anko.

His mother seemed to like the idea, and further added to his troubles when he found out his mother and Anko were old friends. His father, as well as Ino's and Choji's fathers seemed to be against the entire idea of Naruto being on his team. Each of them wanted to see their family tradition of the three houses being placed on a team continues with the younger generation.

While the parents discussed things, they ran Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru out of the house; Shikamaru and company talk about their teams.

Despite her earlier regrets of not being on Sasuke's team, Ino seemed to enjoy her current team, even if she had to put up with Kiba's smell. She felt being with Kurenai could benefit her a great deal, which was emphasized by her father, and Kurenai herself. She could live with Shino being on the team, as long as the bugs did nothing to bother her.

Choji wasn't as lucky with his group. Upon meeting their Sensei, who finally showed up three hours after everyone else, had left, they learned a little about each other. In that time he learned nothing but his Sensei's name, that Sakura was hopelessly in love with Sasuke (which he knew already, and Sasuke wanted to kill some guy, and saw his entire team as useless. He really didn't like his team after the first meeting, and was having doubts about how good it would be.

Choji also mentioned how is father was happy in a way that Choji would be learning under the famous Copy-Nin Kakashi, who seemed to know a "thousand Jutsus". This did little to reassure Choji though, and only made him wish he was part of Shikamaru's team more and more. Then there was the "survival exam" they were going on today, where they had to meet at the memorial stone at 5 a.m., and skip breakfast, which was unheard of for an Akimichi.

'_I hope you are okay Choji, I promise I'll hang with you when I get the chance to. Just pass the test your Sensei gives you.'_

He was brought out of his thoughts when Naruto mentioned doing laundry, and getting the Konohamaru corps to help him. This caused him to smirk, and Hinata to giggle softly behind her hands.

"Man that was wrong Naruto, tricking little kids into servitude like that…" muttered Shikamaru, smiling the entire time.

"What can I say, I needed to get laundry done, and shop for groceries. If I did the laundry by myself, I probably wouldn't have had time for grocery shopping, even if it was just picking up a bunch of ramen." the last part was muttered out to where only Hinata, who was sitting next to him, could hear.

Her happy demeanor changed into a sadder one at that, and caused her to place an understanding hand on Naruto own, reassuring that not everyone was against him.

Naruto smiled at Hinata, and started to stand as he could hear Anko whistling a tune as she walked up to them.

"Great, you are early, I like that in people. Now let's head in and get some breakfast, then we have a few things to do today."

They walked to the same table as before, and took the same seats as before, and once again the waitress seemed to already have Anko's order ready, and took the orders of the three new Genin.

While waiting for their meal, Naruto decided to ask a question that was bugging him after their previous meeting.

"Hey Anko-sensei, I was wondering, each team of Genin have a general purpose right? Like the Combat team from last year, and this year we have a tracking, infiltration, scouting, and spying team, as well as what could be considered an assault team. But I don't know what we are supposed to be."

Anko's smile didn't make any of the gathered Genin very comfortable as she started to speak.

"I'm glad you asked Naruto, because I really forgot to tell you guys yesterday. In fact what we do today will be training for that. I am going to train you to be assassination and sabotage experts, which each of you will be **very** good at."

"S-sensei, um j-just h-how are w-we supposed to be g-good at t-that?" asked a very confused heiress.

"Hm, did you say something Hinata? I could have sworn that I said yesterday I would never answer anything stuttered out, or whispered. So if you want to be heard, speak properly." stated Anko while pointing at Hinata with a stick of dango.

Berating herself mentally, she started again, but paused as it came out in a whisper, and stutter, just like before. She was about to give up when she felt Naruto's hand hold her own, reassuring her, and giving her confidence.

"Sensei, how are we going to be good at that?" spoke the Hyuga with confidence, and confusion in her voice.

Anko smiled at the girl, this time more of a proud smile at what she had done. Shikamaru himself was more then a little confused, the entire time in the Academy, Hinata had never spoken in such a way. She always mumbled out things, or stuttered, but just now she did neither of those things.

'_The more I am with my team, the more confused I get.'_ mentally mumbled Shikamaru.

"Now that you asked, I'll explain. Naruto here is an expert at sabotage, even if he doesn't realize it yet. All of those pranks are perfect examples of what we will be doing, and what you may end up doing in the future."

Everyone turned towards Naruto to see a very mischievous smile on his face.

"You are perfect for silently killing someone with the Juken, and close quarters combat. You have the ability to be an expert assassin like me if you train properly, which I can help with. Now I know you may not like killing, but you have to understand that there are extremely bad people out there. It is our job to take them out, not to mention the Hokage would never accept such a mission without the person having a very good reason for such services."

Hinata timidly nodded her head, while she didn't like the idea; she knew how bad some of the people in the world could be, all from first hand experience.

"As for Shikamaru, well he is the brains of the bunch. He can come up with the plans, and think out the details for each objective. I don't intend to have him do this by himself, and I will train each of you to be able to perform the task. But Shikamaru will also be able to perform the duties of an assassin with his family techniques. I have no doubt you three can perform these tasks, which is why I'm giving you an unofficial mission today."

The interest of all three parties was raised as they heard the news. Even Shikamaru showed signs of being interested in the idea.

"What kind of mission Sensei? Who do you want us to take out?" asked an energetic Naruto, which seemed odd to the other three after his new found calm.

"Well, you are not going to be killing any one just yet, but this is to test your abilities for the job."

"I thought you said we didn't have to take a test." questioned Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow.

"I lied, so sue me Shika-kun" answered Anko with an evil smile on her face.

Shikamaru only knew of two people who called him that, and his father hardly did it. If there was any question before about his mother knowing her, this answered it for him.

"So after breakfast, I'll brief you on the targets, and Naruto-kun should enjoy this." finished Anko as she popped another dumpling into her mouth.

The group quickly finished their meal, and left the shop in the direction of the forest training grounds.

"Now, listen carefully because I'm not going to repeat this, and nor will it be written down any where, just like any official Assassination mission, understood?"

She was greeted with three nodding heads, and one mischievous smile.

"Ok, your target will be the Jonin of Team 7, Hatake Kakashi. You are to render him unconscious if able, or trapped in unable to. Also anyone who gets in your way is subject to the same requirements. Should his team come to his rescue, try to subdue them with out damaging them too much, so no exploding clones Naruto, unless they are solely with Kakashi."

"That's no fun, but fine I guess. I wouldn't want to hurt everyone's Sasuke-kun too much. Not to mention I don't think I could do the same to Choji, he is too nice of a guy. Sakura, well that is another thing all together, huh Hinata-chan?"

Hinata could only giggle, and Shikamaru was slightly shocked to hear him speak that way of his "crush", even with the way she had treated him. He had to remind himself though; this was hardly the Naruto from two days ago.

"Well, just remember, only subdue or restrain them, don't injure them too much. Your primary target is Kakashi, so you can't spend too much time on secondary objectives, understood?"

Once again all three nodded. Though Shikamaru was slightly afraid of having to hurt his friend, he felt some what comforted that the other members of his team would not hurt him too much if possible. Sasuke on the other hand, he was more then willing to break a bone or two on.

"Good, now onto the next part. They will be located at or around the area of the Memorial Stone, training ground 7. The area is heavily wooded, and there is also a valuable village monument located there. You are not to damage this monument, doing so brings about the instant failure of the mission. Other then that, you are free to use any and all skills you have. They will be in the area at least until noon, so you have less then two hours to plan, and deploy. I will not help in any aspect of the mission, except perhaps to answer any questions you may have on your target."

The three Genin instantly gathered together, and started to talk. Occasionally they would ask a question about Kakashi and his known skills. Some of these questions were answered with "unknown", which they were told would happen on some occasions. They would simple have to try to plan for the unknown events, and react to them as they saw fit.

"One last thing, I can end the exercise at any time by firing a smoke flare into the sky. When I do, the mission is over, and you are to make your way back to the entrance to the training grounds."

She was greeted with a nod of affirmation, and some "yes Senseis" from the more vocal members of the team.

After thirty minutes of planning, the three set off towards the clearing, with Naruto leading the way. Anko could only smile maliciously as her charges took to the trees, as she was going to enjoy the payback on Kakashi. Oh how she was going to enjoy telling this story later on tonight at the bar, or the next Jonin meeting.

'_Sorry Kakashi, but mess with a snake bearing its fangs, and it will bite back; the same goes with a fox you poor excuse for a man.'_

50 yards from the clearing; Naruto paused, and started on the first half of their plan. He formed the now familiar, to him, cross shaped sign, and called forth twelve clones. With another sign, and another cloud of smoke, each one looked like a member of Team 7. Three each in the form of Sasuke (Naruto gagged at this), Sakura, Choji, and Kakashi. The clones were then sent out into the surrounding woods in hops of leading the true members of Team 7 away from their Sensei, and out of the battle zone.

After the clones took their leave, the trio slowly started there way forward, careful to avoid any traps the opposing Genin may have set for their Jonin Sensei. Hinata would sporadically activate her families' Kekkei Genkai to check for the other team, and found nothing at first.

After moving for several minutes, the group came across a crater filled battlefield, with steam rising from it, and the silver haired man that was their target. In front of the man, and neck deep in the earth was none other the Uchiha Sasuke, who did not look pleased with his predicament.

"Hm, you are right, you are not like the others, but then again it's the nail that stands out that gets hammered down the hardest. No if you will excuse me, I have to find Choji, so don't go any where."

His visible eye only smiled down as the young avenger growled at his Sensei, and this only caused him to struggle even more to get out of his hole.

Team 10 watched as Kakashi left the clearing, and as planned before hand, Hinata activated her Byakugan to scan for Kakashi, or any other members of Team 7. Seeing the man walk away, they started to follow, but paused hearing the head of Sasuke start speaking.

"Dang it, how am I supposed to kill _that_ man if I can't even beat Kakashi, and pass this stupid test. I doubt the other two could have gotten a bell from him either, especially that fat-ass Choji; since it's impossible for me to do it by myself."

Naruto had to restrain Shikamaru physically when Sasuke said these, and it only added onto his "Things I hate about Sasuke" list.

"You want to blow our cover? I don't like it any more then you do, but right now we have a task to perform for Anko-sensei, so let it slide for now, and get even with him later." whispered Naruto into Shikamaru's ear.

He was greeted with a slow nod of acceptance, and the trio set off once again, with Hinata leading them to their prey. It wasn't long till she could see Kakashi engaged in a battle with Choji, who was currently rolling around in hopes of catching the Jonin.

"Good, this is what I was hoping for." spoke Shikamaru, "He should be too preoccupied to be able to dodge my **Kagemane no Jutsu**, and if we are lucky Choji will be able to score a direct hit on him, and limit our involvement. If not, you know what to do after I catch him so get ready."

With that said, he started on a sequence of seals, and nodded towards Naruto before he finished.

Seeing the nod, Naruto created five new shadow clones, and on Shikamaru's final signal, sent them leaping into the air, and out over the clearing; each one casting a shadow onto the forest floor.

Once the clones had launched, Shikamaru finished by placing his hands into the rat seal, and with it his shadow started to stretch out from under him, and into the shadows of the clones, and slowly towards Kakashi.

Kakashi had felt a small surge of chakra from nearby; by at first he attributed it to his own team. It wasn't until he noticed a figure falling towards him from the sky that he realized how wrong he was.

The clones had each managed to launch off the one before it, causing them to stagger the distance, and allow Shikamaru to stretch his shadow further along the ground. The final one had reached the apex of its jump and was now heading down towards its target. It could only smile as the man looked up at it, shock barely concealed behind his mask.

Kakashi was about to raise an arm to block the blow from the blonde bomb, and that was when he realized something was _very_ wrong.

As he tried to move his arm up, he could faintly hear a voice speaking and stating Kagemane no Jutsu, a success, and then panic started to set in. Because coming towards him was a rapidly spinning mass of Akimichi fury.

The blonde that was coming towards him was forgotten, though he was surprised when it vanished in a plume of smoke. He would have pondered more on this if it wasn't for Choji bearing down on him. He was about to give off a surge of Chakra in hopes of breaking free of the jutsu, but then four other blondes clung onto him, and held him tightly, offering him very little freedom of movement.

Choji was oblivious to what was going on in the outside world, and he was focused on knocking his Sensei down to get a bell. He could sense that the man wasn't moving, and there were several other chakra signatures near him; but he left that out to the side for another time.

He neared the mass of bodies, and was just about to hit when Shikamaru let his jutsu go, and allowed Choji to plow into the silver haired man, and the blonde clones, sending the clones up in clouds of smoke.

Choji stopped his **Nikudan Sensha** (Meat Tank), and turned to see if his Sensei was still there. To his surprise, and the surprise of the party crashers, only a log was left residing inside of the path of Choji.

Seeing this, all parties concerned started to look around in search of their prey. Naruto and group left their hiding place in search of another, with Hinata leading the way, **Byakugan **flaring. Shikamaru was in the middle of the group, with Naruto bringing up the rear guard.

They were nearly to a new location when Naruto grabbed both Shikamaru and Hinata to toss them to the side. Just as they jumped off of the small trail Kakashi came bursting forth from the Earth, Sharingan eye revealed, and spinning with his fury.

Hinata could see him quickly withdraw a Kunai, and watched as he started to bring it down towards Naruto's exposed chest, and fear started to bubble up inside of her as he remembered the events of two nights ago.

But just as he did that night, Naruto's arm was covered by light, and was encased in armor. It was just in time as Kakashi's kunai came crashing into it, and was splintered apart like a piece of driftwood.

Not taking the chance to be stunned, Kakashi jumped away from his opponent, and started to assess his situation.

While he was doing this, Hinata let out a breath she didn't think she was holding, happy that her crush was able to call upon the power of his birth once again.

Shikamaru laid there on the ground stunned at what had just happened, never before had he seen such an event. The ground around him had exploded into fragments of light, then formed on Naruto's arm, and giving him a strange appendage to block that blow with.

'_Could this be what he was working on? If so, then only one word describes it, amazing.'_

Naruto flexed his right arm, and smiled towards Kakashi.

"Not so useless is it? It works as a great blocker for pesky kunai, and I can call it forth pretty quickly now that I know how to activate it, again thanks Hatake-san. But now you can see the rest of the power held within this arm, my **Kaigara Dangan** (Shell Bullet)."

Hinata started to smile, as she had seen a sample of its power, but never anything after that first fin. Shikamaru could only wonder what else would change about this former loud mouth.

Anko could only smile sadistically at the turn of events. She had never thought she would see anything like this again. She had only seen something like this once before, and that was nearly fourteen years ago. Now she was going to see something very similar to that, and couldn't be more pleased with being able to teach the owner.

'_Kanami-kaa-chan, could this be the son of you an Arashi-Otou-san? It would have to be, Otou-san had a power very similar, and Naruto-kun looks just like the pictures you used to show me of him… If only I had known sooner, I could have been there for him.'_

Kakashi had that same feeling as he did yesterday; he was starting to sweat down his back, and could hardly figure out why he was afraid of this boy. True he had the Kyubi sealed within him, but surely that wasn't enough to be worried about, could it? No, it was that arm, the power it seemed to exude. He could feel the power pulsing off of the arm, even if his **Sharingan **showed now chakra leaking from it.

"Shikamaru, Hinata-chan you guys okay?" asked Naruto as he positioned the arm in front of him.

"Yeah Naruto, though you have some explaining to do about your **Kaigara Dangan**." answered Shikamaru.

"Yes, Naruto-kun I'm fine. Thank you for pushing us out of the way." answered Hinata.

"Eh, what can I say Shikamaru other then it's my family legacy, a new Kekkei Genkai? I wasn't planning on showing it yet, but this jerk made me."

Shikamaru only nodded, but still dumbstruck at the turn of events. He was mentally searching the files of his brain for mention of anything similar to this in all of the scrolls he had read and memorized in his life; sadly he was coming up empty.

"Very nice name, but I don't see why you would give it such a name, it hardly suits it after all." replied Kakashi, trying to stall and figure out something to do against this unknown weapon.

"That's the beauty of it, because after doing my laundry yesterday," this caused Kakashi to develop a large sweat drop on the back of his head, Hinata to stifle her giggling, Shikamaru to face plant, and Anko to laugh merrily in her mind.

"I read up on my Kekkei Genkai, and found out how to use it. It all stems from the activation, and what triggers to activation. For me to activate mine, I need to be angry, not really, but once the initial activation I can bypass that by thought. But to use the special powers, I still have to focus on one thing, and anger helped to do that for me. Plus, this arm can do a lot of cool things, watch!" shouted Naruto as he started to raise his arm above his head.

They all watched as he brought his fist crashing down into the earth and with that he was propelled up into the air, higher then any of them could see through the canopy of the dense Konoha forest.

Hinata activated her clan's legacy and focused up in the air, and started to regret doing so as she saw Naruto start to descend back towards the ground.

They continued to watch, and were surprised to hear the voice of the blonde shout out, "**Shougeki no Fa-suto Dangan** (Shocking First Bullet)!"

Everyone could feel the burst of chakra once that was yelled out; only a few could see it. One being Hinata with her **Byakugan**, and the other was Kakashi with his **Sharingan**, which he quickly covered to keep from going blind at the chakra released.

That was followed quickly by, "Hinata-chan, Shikamaru get out of there fast!", and the two Genin were more then eager to comply, as Hinata could see him rocketing down towards where Kakashi stood.

Not even ten seconds after fleeing the small trail did Naruto come crashing down into the earth fist first. The resulting shockwave and explosion knocked everyone off their feet.

Kakashi had just enough time to leap away from the impact zone thanks to his years of experience in battle. But after seeing such force he knew one thing for sure, and that was to **_not_** get hit by one of those attacks.

He was quickly leaping away when he noticed one of the original three fins was no long situated on top of Naruto's back, which give him cause for hope.

Sakura had just finished digging Sasuke out of the hole when they felt the explosion and the shockwave from what had to be a mile away from them. Looking at each other, they quickly took to the trees to investigate the source.

Choji, who had seen his friend's team fleeing the clearing, could feel the power coming from the direction they went, and could only worry about them. With out a second thought he took too the trees and started in the same direction. On his way there he was surprised at something that had stopped him, himself.

A Kage Bunshin disguised as Choji came walking up, with a smile on its face. With a quick hand seal, it was obscured by a cloud of smoke that soon revealed an exact copy of Naruto.

"Hey Choji, I wouldn't go over there right now. My team and my original self are having a party with your Sensei. But don't worry, I know you are on some kind of test, and that bells have something to do with it right?"

Choji only nodded, as he could hardly believe he was speaking to a clone, a solid one at that.

"Well here, we managed to take these when some of us jumped him earlier. I think you might want them, and a word of warning, they are not the true test here." with that the clone tossed two small bells towards Choji, and vanished in a cloud of smoke. Choji just smiled at where the clone once was, and thought that maybe, just maybe he had another friend to add to his short list.

Anko was ecstatic after the debris settled down, not only finding out she had he Kaa-chan's son as a student, but also seeing how much like her Otou-san the boy was. This was going to be one hell of a team, was all she was thinking. She quickly shook her head though, she had to end this before it became too serious; not that a massive crater was anything serious; they were after all a Ninja Village.

She quickly fired off her smoke signal, and made her way to the entrance to the grounds. The entire way there she was giggling like a school girl at the thoughts of what her team was going to be capable of.

Kakashi saw the smoke flare, and instantly knew Anko had to have something to do with this little interruption. He saw Team 10 turn to leave, and knew in his mind he was not going to let them go so easily. With that decided, he started to pursue the team of would be assassins.

They were once again in the formation Shikamaru wanted them to follow, Hinata in front, himself in the middle, and Naruto bringing up the rear. They traveled single file through the canopy and were half way to their target destination when Hinata called out an alarm of them being followed, and an alert that Sasuke and Sakura were a hundred yards in front of them, and heading their way.

"Hinata and I will try to slow down Sakura and Sasuke; Naruto you try to take care of Kakashi, but don't waste too much time doing it, got it?"

"Yeah, I know just the thing to change his mind too, you two be careful with Sasuke and Sakura. Choji won't be far behind them, though he doesn't want to fight us, just watch I think."

Nodding, Shikamaru and Hinata took off to confront the opposing Genin, while Naruto waited for Kakashi to appear; which did not take too long.

Kakashi jumped into the clearing occupied by Naruto, and set an icy glare onto the blonde boy.

"What's wrong can't get away, so you decide to face me? I'm not going to take it easy on you like I was earlier, you and your team interrupted a training exercise, so don't think this is another one of your practical jokes."

"Oh, it isn't, how silly of me to think so. Listen bastard, I'm only here so my team can handle the other two member's of your team heading this way. They figured I'd have the best chance of slowing you down, which they seem to be right."

Kakashi had to bite back his growl of frustration with the new would be assassins.

"Not to mention that I still have a score to settle with you son of _Konoha no Shiroi Kiba _(Konoha's White Fang)." with that final phrase said, Naruto charged towards Kakashi, armored arm in the lead.

Kakashi snapped out of his temporary shock as the boy let loose his war cry, and charged at him. The speed of the boy was nothing like he was expecting, having taken part in several chases before. The look on Naruto's face was also new to Kakashi, as it was one of pure determination, and no longer the idiotic grin he was used to seeing.

As Kakashi saw the boy charge towards him, and the wind whipping through his hair, he was once again reminded of his Sensei; the clothes Naruto was wearing didn't help matters either, as it seemed to be an exact replica of his Sensei's Jonin uniform. The baggy dark blue shirt with red spirals, and black pants that were bandaged around the ankles, all of it a reminder of how his late Sensei had dressed. Even the kunai holster was set just like him; it briefly made Kakashi supper impose an image of his Sensei over Naruto, seeing how the two were almost exactly the same.

He snapped out of his trance to see Naruto almost upon him, and quickly ducked under the wild swing, and sent a quick kick towards his attacker's gut.

Seeing the attack coming, Naruto used the momentum of his swing to roll forward, and as he did he planted his right hand on the ground to flip over the kick, and gain some distance between himself and the Jonin.

Kakashi wasted little time in pressing the attack as he turned, and started to assault the boy with rapid fire kicks, and punches.

Naruto tried his best to dodge, parry, or block the blows, but the skill difference was obvious, even to him. He was barely able to block a tenth of the blows being sent at him. Slowly though he started to smile, which unnerved Kakashi enough to jump away to assess the situation.

Naruto started coughing and panting as he held his side, and looked at the silver haired man in front of him.

"Well, I guess I know I can't take on a high ranking Jonin like you… It's a good thing I didn't try to either, because I'm sure this beating might really hurt. So see you later Hatake-san, I just have one last word for you, boom."

With that the Naruto in front of Kakashi started to glow, as a massive buildup of chakra started to form, causing Kakashi to curse himself for not using the **Sharingan** sooner.

He quickly jumped away as the "Naruto" muttered, "**Bunshin Daibakuha"**, and then with a violent explosion, the clone ended its own life, and sent Kakashi seeking shelter behind a large pine.

After the explosion ceased, and the debris settled, Kakashi crawled out and cursed the boy for performing the **Kawarimi no Jutsu** during the fight with a **Kage Bunshin**.

* * *

**Hinata and Shikamaru Vs Sasuke and Sakura**

It didn't take long for Shikamaru to see the two members of Team 7, and it helped to have Hinata keep track of them while they stayed hidden within the shadows of the underbrush. Currently Sasuke and Sakura were poised on a branch, looking around for any sign of what may have caused the recent explosion. Neither of them was willing to take any chances.

"Sasuke-kun, are you sure we should be doing this? I mean what if it's an enemy attack, I mean shouldn't we be trying to get help first?" asked the pink haired girl.

"If it was an attack we need to know by who, and where they are. We can't just go back and report that we heard an explosion, and have no idea what caused the explosion." replied the stoic Uchiha.

Shikamaru only smiled to himself at the logic of the boy. He quietly turned towards Hinata, and could see she was slightly apprehensive about what was surely going to happen next.

"Listen Hinata, I know you don't want to hurt them, but we have to make it back to Anko-Sensei as soon as possible. These two would try to stop us if we had continued on, and if we tried to run now, they would still give chase. We have to do something to slow them down, or knock them out. If we don't then Naruto's distraction would be for nothing, understand?"

"Hai, I d-do, I just h-hope Naruto-kun is okay."

"I'm sure he is fine, I have a feeling he has more surprised up his sleeve for that Jonin, and you may know more about them then you let on." stated Shikamaru slyly to the girl, causing her to blush a tint of pink.

"Enough of that though, I'll try to catch them in my **Kagemane no Jutsu**, and you try to knock them out with Juken strikes, alright?"

Hinata hesitantly nodded her head, and awaited the signal of the unofficial team leader.

Shikamaru went through the signs for the Jutsu, and seconds later his shadow flew out from the underbrush, then up and around the tree occupied by the members of Team 7. Once it made it to the branch, it latched onto the shadow of Sasuke, and reached for Sakura's own, only to fall short.

Cursing himself, he nodded for Hinata to make her move on Sakura, while he handled the Uchiha.

Sakura was just jumped from the tree in order to continue her search, and looked back to check on why her crush hadn't followed. She was surprised to see a black pool underneath him, which wrapped around the branch, then the trunk of the tree, and lead down to thick underbrush. She could see Sasuke's muscles flinching as he tried to move, but failed to do so, only confirming her guess at what had happened.

'**Kagemane no Jutsu**_, one of the most basic of Nara family techniques used to restrain a target. Once they have the target restrained, they can cause the target to mimic the user. Extremely dangerous. If it has Sasuke then that means Shikamaru must be in that underbrush hiding.'_

She was about to jump down to confirm her guess when she ducked down to avoid a strike to her shoulders, courtesy of Hinata. The only thing that caused Sakura to do so was her above average chakra awareness, which alerted her to the chakra coming from the Juken strike thrown at her.

Sakura quickly rolled away and got into her loose battle stance, while Hinata moved into a more offensive Juken stance.

"What the hell are you doing Hinata? I don't know if Naruto talked you guys into helping him with some prank, but you might be better off stopping now. You know you can't beat me, you never have in the Academy, so just stop and maybe I'll take it easy on you." claimed Sakura as she pulled a kunai from her holster.

Hinata started to tremble a little at the reminder of her skills during the Academy days, when she didn't believe in herself, and felt more like a burden then anything else.

Seeing this caused Sakura to smirk, knowing she had broken the girl's resolve so easily. She slowly walked towards the indigo haired girl, hoping to simple send the girl to the forest floor with a single punch.

Hinata started to remember her time in the Academy, and the looks given to her by her very own family, looks of disgust, and hate. Looks that were very similar to one other person she knew, Naruto.

With that name popping up in her head, she saw his fight with Mizuki, and remembered how she had run to try to help him and Iruka.

She then remembered the kind words Naruto spoke to her inside of the Hokage's office, how she was strong, and deserved to be a Genin as much as any one else did.

Then she saw him on his knees, crying as he found out about the burden his _own_ father had placed on him.

Most of all she remembered how he was able to live with the burden, even when he did not know about. How he never let anything hold him down, no matter what the situation may be.

'_I will be strong; I must be strong for Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-kun, as well as Anko-sensei. I will not be a burden to them!'_

With those thoughts she quickly snapped out of her daze, and saw Sakura raising a fist, getting ready to deal what she assumed would be the final, and only blow of the fight.

Hinata quickly spun around and parried the punch sent at her by Sakura, causing the pink hair girl to follow her punch, and stumble along the branch to regain her balance. She quickly followed up Sakura's blow with a small finger strike to Sakura's left shoulder, sending in a small pulse of chakra to the **tenketsu **located there. She was pleased to see the girl slump on that side, and quickly dodge a wild blow sent at her by Sakura's right foot in the form of a mule kick.

Sakura missed with the kick, and quickly spun around, putting the force of the spin into a right hook, hopping to connect with the Hyuga's porcelain like face. She was shocked when Hinata brought her own right hand up, and gently nudge Sakura's blow to the side, causing her to barely miss with her intended target.

After the parry, Hinata brought her left hand forward, middle and index finger a pale blue, as she hit Sakura's shoulder with another strike, closing off that tenketsu as well, causing the pink hair girl to stumble backwards against the trunk of the tree.

Hinata quickly followed with a palm strike to the head of Sakura, causing her head to hit against the trunk, and make the girl slump down from the impact.

Hinata quickly checked to be sure she was fine, and was relieved to see that she was only knocked out, with no serious injury sustained. After making sure Sakura was restrained, she turned to check on Shikamaru, and was amused to see Sasuke was knocked out as well, and secured to the trunk of his own tree.

Shikamaru's fight with Sasuke was rather one sided, since he managed to catch the Uchiha by surprise.

Once Hinata had moved off to confront Sakura, Shikamaru stood up, and moved to where Sasuke could see him. The rage in the boy's eyes only amused Shikamaru even more, and took away any guilt he might have been feeling before.

"Sasuke, I don't know what your problem is, but you really should pay more attention to your surroundings. Crashing through the trees like a wild boar, then standing close to the trunk of a tree, when you have no idea what kind of enemy you face. You only helped me in disabling you, watch and see how."

With that Shikamaru threw himself backwards, head first. Sasuke copied to movement due to the Jutsu, and hit head first against the tree of the trunk, effectively knocking him out. With a small sigh of relief, Shikamaru jumped into the tree and started to tie the boy to the tree.

Once done he turned to observe Hinata's fight, and was glad to see the girl over come her confidence problems to win her first fight against one of the top Kunoichi of their year. It is true that Sakura was not very strong in the physical arts of the Shinobi, but she was no slacker either. Sakura was second only to Ino out of all the Kunoichi of their year, but bested Ino and the others when it came to the mental department.

For Hinata to best Sakura, it showed she was holding back in their Academy years.

Shikamaru motioned to Hinata to follow him once she was done with Sakura, and the two quickly made their way to the meeting point. Hinata was once again leading the way with her special eyes picking things out from around them. It was only because of them that she noticed Naruto catching up to them from behind.

She informed Shikamaru, who only said keep moving, and that Naruto would catch up to them. Sure enough Naruto had resumed his position not even three minutes later.

Finally complete, Team 10 made their exit from the training fields, and emerged at the entrance to see a very pleased Anko.

"Great work kids, I'm very pleased with how you worked together, and despite not fulfilling the requirements, you still did an outstanding job. Starting tomorrow we will begin taking missions, and proper training will commence. Until then I have one final unofficial mission for you today."

"Please not another "assassination" mission." groaned Shikamaru. Out of the three members of the team, he seemed to be the only one who was running low on chakra, and was really starting to hate the energy that Naruto and Anko seemed to be exuding.

"Ah, come on Shikamaru, you know you had fun knocking pretty boy out back there." voiced Naruto, he wasn't disappointed as he saw the smirk forming on Shikamaru's face.

"Fine, I did have fun, but I'm low on chakra already after having to restrain a Jonin, even if he wasn't trying his hardest to break free." mumbled Shikamaru.

"Well then, I suppose the first order of business when we start training is chakra reserves for you. But don't worry, the mission you guys have today is not going to require too much chakra. It's a simple shopping mission, and needs to be done badly." she yelled out as Shikamaru started to make a face at her statement.

"You see, two members of our team is severely lacking in proper wardrobe fit for our operations. So it is our job to make sure they are properly equipped for future missions." finished Anko as she glared at Shikamaru, who was busy fighting back a number of yawns.

"Huh, I thought I was the only one who needed new clothes Sensei." asked Naruto, as he started to become confused, as he wondered why Shikamaru or Hinata would need new clothes.

"Well I thought so too Naruto, but Hinata can't very well expect to perform missions in her light colored clothes. They would be fine to train in and all, but for missions, and training designed for our goal, she will need the proper clothing as well."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense and all… So you and Hinata-chan will go shopping, and me and Shikamaru?"

"You wish you were so lucky kid, we will go together, after all have to make sure the team has matching clothes and all." answered Anko with a wicked grin.

Suddenly Naruto wasn't looking forward to the shopping session, nor was Hinata at the thought of having a chance to see Naruto's bare muscular chest. At the same time she was starting to blush at the thought of what Anko might try to dress her up in.

"After we are done, Shikamaru, Hinata, you two can go home, I need to have a talk with Naruto again."

With those words she started to lead them to the shopping district of Konoha.

* * *

**Hokage Tower**

Sarutobi was pleased with the results of the day's tests of skills for the three main teams of this year's graduating class. Each one showed great potential, and would only require polishing and buffing out the skills and attitude of each group.

Team 7 had a major blow dealt to their ego at the raid from Team 10. While Choji did not confront the other team directly, he wasn't surprised at the outcome of events. Choji seemed to be one of the only members of that team to know what it truly meant to be a Konoha Ninja. The raid from Team 10 only served to reinforce that message, as each member of the team worked together to perform their duties, and support each other.

This was an obvious source of pain for Uchiha Sasuke, as he had never expected to be taken out so easily by someone whose grades matched Naruto's own. The fact his entire team was taken down so easily, as well as his Jonin sensei being distracted enough to not be able to offer help, only showed him something he had missed at first, teamwork.

According to Kakashi, who was rather roughed up from several exploding clones, the only reason that Team 10 managed to take them down so easily was because of that. Team 10 worked together like a Konoha team should do, and were able to do what a single Genin could not do alone.

Sakura was surprised as well after hearing what had happened, and reliving her defeat at the hands of Hinata. She became aware of her poor Taijutsu, and seemed to realize that perhaps Hinata was not as pathetic as she thought at first. This served to spark a fire inside of her to train harder, and become an asset to her team, and not the burden Sasuke made her out to be.

Team 8 also performed very well in their test, and managed to work together to do so. Despite the fact that Ino disliked her team members, she was able to work with them after overcoming her feelings towards them. In the short time that they were together, they seemed to mesh together to create a well oiled team.

Continued exposure to each other, and training under Kurenai could only polish what was starting to shine through with the team.

Team 10 was a pleasant surprise, since he was unsure at first of how well they would work together. But after the raid on Team 7, he was very happy to see the group in action.

He was surprised to see how quickly Naruto had been able to control his bloodline limit, and could only hope that the boy continued to train it, and learn more about it. He had to admit though, for anyone who knew of Arashi's secret power, they would surely be able to see the relationship between him and Naruto. And from what he saw of Anko earlier, and knew of her, she must have known of that ability.

He didn't know of any ties between the Yondaime and Anko, but he was sure to hear of them from Anko soon enough.

* * *

**Dango Shop**

Team 10 had finished their shopping expedition, and split up for the remainder of the day. Each member came away with new clothes, as well as new weapons for their jobs.

Weapon wise, it was mostly kunai, shuriken, and for Hinata, senbon needles. Naruto was slightly different from the other two, in the fact that he wanted to buy two wakizashi to learn how to use. Anko was more then happy to buy the weapons for him, and just about paid for all of his clothes herself, despite his arguments. When he asked why, she only told him she would explain it when they talked later on.

Clothing wise, Naruto came away with darker colors, and more relaxed forms of clothes similar to what he wore that day.

His mission clothes were close to what the stereotypical Ninja wore from the movies, except his ended up being a little baggy, which allowed him to conceal weapons with ease. The clothes were made up of blacks, dark blues, dark greens, and some with forest patterns to allow him to blend in with the landscape of Fire Country. His shirts also came with a collar that could be unrolled to act as a mask, and cover his face from the nose down. Anko had even talked him into unrolling his Hitaiate and using it like a bandanna to cover up his bright blonde hair.

For his wakizashi, he had managed to get a small holster for each to wear on the outside of his calves. Anko made sure to get a special style of holster as well for the weapons, one where they could not easily be drawn from them, and used against Naruto during a fight. They were designed with three safety features. The first was a forked thong catch that would wrap, and then snap in place on the holster and sheath. The second feature was a pressure release, in which the sheath/holster had to be pulled in the proper direction to allow the blade to release. The final feature was one that would only allow the blade to be drawn when the proper amount of chakra was channeled into the grip of the small sword. If any of the three features was not removed, then the blade would not move from the holster and sheath.

It would take Naruto some time to get used to the features, but Anko assured him it was well worth it when real combat came about.

While Shikamaru thought the idea of weapons was too troublesome, he reluctantly went along with getting one, if only to get Anko off of his back. Anko had selected, what she felt would allow him to use his jutsus to the best of his ability, the Kyoketsu Shoge; which looked like it might have been an early version of the kusraigamas.

The weapon had a straight double edged blade that was nearly a foot long, and had a handle that was half that length. Where the blade and handle meet, another smaller curved single edged blade connected at a 90 degree angle. The weapon was attached to a length of chain that allowed the weapon to be thrown around, and spun around the user. Finally at the other end of the chain was a round ring, in which the user could hold onto, and use for leverage when wielding the weapon.

Once he saw the weapon, his interest was peaked, as it would allow him something to combine with his family jutsus, and give him a way to send the shadow out with out the person knowing.

The entire group was happy with the selections, even if some felt it was a little too much. Out of the three though, Hinata seemed to have had a permanent blush on her cheeks the entire time the shopped for clothes. Naruto couldn't figure out why she did, and when he tried to talk about it with her, her cheeks only darkened, and she would turn away afraid to look him in the eye.

Shikamaru had a feeling it had something to do with Anko prodding Hinata into activating her **Byakugan** while Naruto was in the changing rooms, but he wasn't too sure.

Now though, the shopping was over, and the group was heading their own ways. Anko was currently leading Naruto back towards their "official" team meeting area. The entire time she wouldn't answer any of Naruto's questions, and only walked into the shop, and what seemed to be her personal booth. It was only after he ordered that she started to speak to him.

"So, Kazama Naruto huh, I never would have guessed it if I didn't see your fight with Kakashi" started off Anko.

Hearing this caused Naruto to choke on the water he was currently sipping, and nearly caused him to spew it onto Anko.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about Sensei." stuttered out a shocked Naruto.

"Cut the crap Naruto-kun, I knew your mother and father. I was one of the few people who knew about your father's bloodline." firmly answered Anko once again.

"…" was the only response Naruto had for her.

"Listen, I know it might be a sore subject for you and all, hell I don't even know how long you knew about it, or the Kyubi. But I need to talk to you about this."

"Two days."

"Two days, what do you mean two days?"

"I've known about my family for almost two days now, since the night I stole the scroll from Jiji. That's when I found out about the Kyubi too, and activated my Kekkei Genkai. No one else knows except Jiji, Hiashi-san, Hinata-chan Iruka-sensei, and now you I guess." whispered Naruto with his head down.

Anko only nodded to the news, as it explained a great deal to her. Questions like why the teams were suddenly changed, and how she became a Jonin instructor, why the Hyuga girl seemed to be so close to the blonde boy, and why the change in the boy's attitude the last few days.

"So, what do you know of your Kaa-san, and Otou-san? I can try to answer any questions for you… I want to help you out Naruto, because they were like my parents after my life changed. Your Kaa-san took me in, and a number of other orphaned Kunoichi, and helped to raise us, even if we were teens already."

"I-I don't know a lot about her, Otou-san didn't write much about her in his letter to me, and I don't know if I should read the other letters he left for me, hell I don't even know if I should check the house out or not."

Anko could only imagine what he was going through, since she felt she had been through similar times after _he_ left her to die.

"Then how about I talk about Kaa-chan? I'm sure you would like her, and she would be proud of you." asked Anko gently, which caught Naruto by surprise. He had never heard here sound so nice, and caring in the short time he knew her.

He numbly nodded his head for her to continue, listening closely to everything she had to say.

"Well you're her name was Yuta Kanami, and she was a very beautiful and strong woman, even for a civilian." she paused at the shocked look on Naruto's face.

"Yep kiddo, she was a civilian, though you father would think differently when she was angry with him. Don't get me wrong, she knew enough to defend herself from thugs and what not; but not enough to put up a fight against a decent Ninja. She had a stunning set of emerald colored eyes, and light brown hair that looked and felt soft as silk. She was a great woman with an even greater heart."

Naruto had raised his head now, and looked at Anko. He was surprised to see the glazed look of her eyes, and the building of what looked like tears there.

"I first meet her after my bastard of a Sensei left me to die. Your father brought me back to Konoha, and I was in terrible shape. I had lost my will to fight, and live, and was only saved by your mother's love. She came to me one day, and spent the entire time talking to me, and styling my hair, even though I told her to leave me alone.

"She kept coming back day after day to visit me in the hospital, and finally I started opening up to her, and then I broke and told her everything about my life. How that bastard treated me, and how I didn't want to live any more, since I saw no point in living. When she heard me say that she gave me what I will swear to this day was the most powerful slap I had ever felt, since it knocked me right out of my hospital bed."

Naruto watched as Anko brought a hand up to her check, cradling it, as if some ghost pain was resurfacing.

"It did its job though, it brought me back to reality, and she chewed me out good for thinking like that. After that day I started to spend more time with her at the house she shared with your father, and I even heard them talking about adopting me at times as their daughter. I was surprised anyone would want something to do with the former student of a Traitor, but they didn't seem to care. Finally after having spent nearly six months with them, I found out that they had talked Hokage-sama into them adopting me. I was ecstatic; I mean I finally had a new family, which was like a dream come true to me since I going to turn twelve in a month."

Anko stopped as she started to wipe tears from her eyes, and order some sake from the bar. While they waited, Anko continued to clean her eyes of tears, and Naruto started to do the same with his own eyes. After the alcohol arrived, Anko continued her tale.

"Of course by this time your father had been the Yondaime Hokage for nearly the same length of time I lived with them. So he was hardly home all the time and I would spend my time with your mother, and his student Rin. We would do girly things, like talking about boys, and clothes, or who we liked. She made us feel like children instead of the Kunoichi we were, and we were grateful for that. It made us feel human, and Rin needed it at that time, since a member of her team had died in the recent Iwa, Konoha war months ago.

"It was during this time that a number of things happened, the first was Iwa sending a small force of ANBU to either kidnap or kill your mother. When they tried to, Rin and I were at the house with her, and we fought like wild animals trying to keep her away from them. It's kind of funny really, out of the twelve ANBU they sent, only two were able to get away with your mother, the rest were either dead or wishing they were. At the time we were just Chunin, so we were hardly expected to be able to take on such numbers."

She cast Naruto one of her wicked smiles, and was pleased to see the boy jump from the look.

"After the left, we dragged ourselves to the tower, broken and bleeding to tell your father about what had happened. When we made it there, we were barely hanging on, but we were happy that we delivered the message to him. When he heard the news, I saw something I had never seen before, a strange green light started to surround your father's legs, and encased them in armor, much like your arm. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it allowed him to run faster then anything I had seen before. But to my surprise he didn't take off after your mother like I had thought he would, instead he took me and Rin to the hospital to be treated for our wounds. Once we were safe he left to get your mother back."

She paused as she started to drink straight from the bottle of Sake. Setting the bottle down, she continued.

"We didn't hear anything from him for a few days, which caused us to worry about his safety. To add to the problems, there were reports of the Kyubi waking in the southern mountains of Fire Country, and starting to head towards Konoha. No one knew what to do or expect, but the Sandaime went about trying to ready our forces to meet the Kyubi, should its intentions prove hostile, and boy did they ever. It was destroying anything in its path, be it small townships, to small villages. Anything that had human life in it was destroyed ruthlessly, with it sparring nothing.

"It was when the Kyubi was 20 miles from Konoha that your father returned with your mother, who looked like she had seen better days. It was then that Rin and I noticed something that we didn't see before, her large belly, which showed how pregnant she was.

"From there I'm sure you can guess what happened, the day he returned was only the fifth of October, and we managed to hold the Kyubi off for five days. Your mother was in labor with you those entire five days, and it's a miracle that you survived… I was told though that both of you had passed away early on the fifth day, and with Rin we charged the Kyubi hoping for some amount of revenge. All we ended up doing was getting ourselves injured, and knocked out of the battle. Neither of us knew what had happened until we woke up from our slumber three days later, and heard the news."

Once again Anko could be seen fighting back tears, and wiping away the ones that had already started to fall. Naruto slowly handed her a napkin to use instead of her coat, which she gladly accepted from him.

"When Rin found out bother of our adoptive parents were gone, she broke down and left the village, vowing to never come back. I started to become cold, and slightly crazed, or some would say. We both changed, and occasionally write the other, but after losing them we severed most ties with the outside world… Naruto, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but since they did adopt us, that makes me and Rin your Nee-chans, and you our little Otouto."

Naruto who had been depressed at the end of the tale, started to smile as he remembered his thoughts when he first found out about his family.

"I still have family…" was all he managed to get out before Anko moved next to him, and wrapped him up in a hug.

"Yes Naruto-kun you do, and if you would have me, I'd like to call you Otouto when we are not on missions, and you could call me Nee-chan at the same time.

That night became the happiest one in both of their lives, and one that allowed both to move on with the lives they didn't think they would be able to live.

* * *

**5 Weeks Later**

Over the past five weeks, all of the rookie Genin teams were busy completing D-rank missions, one after another, and training their hearts out when not doing missions.

The team to blame for the other two training like crazy was Anko's Team 10.

After the first raid on Team 7, Anko would have the team assault one of the other two teams, testing them, and probing into their skills. This of course was an outrage to Kakashi, but amusement, and a challenge by Kurenai and Team 8; who was more then willing to take on Anko's Team 10. Both teams enjoyed bouts of good natured fun, and would often be seen training together, when not fighting one another.

Kakashi did not like the idea of his training time being interrupted by Anko's antics, but with the Sandaime agreeing it was perfect training for Team 10's goals, he let it go. In the end Kakashi was glad the see the random assault from Team 10, it allowed his team to train seemingly real life combat situations, and allowed them to learn how to handle ambushes. It also pushed the members of his team to new heights, with a rivalry forming between Sasuke and Naruto, and one between Hinata and Sakura.

From Team 7, Choji was often seen during his free time with the members of Team 10, either training, enjoying time with them in mindless pre-teen fun, cloud watching, or watching Naruto get beat by Shikamaru in an assortment of board games. He enjoyed seeing how Team 10 interacted, almost like a small family, and made him wish his team was always like that.

Team 7 did change from the first time they worked together, but there was an occasional bout of hatred direct at him from his fellow Team members. That is what drove him to join Shikamaru, and his team. He tried to work hand in hand with Sakura and Sasuke, but there were times when accidents beyond anyone's control would occur, and the two would blame him, and his size.

Anko had also once sent her team on what she felt was a suicide mission against Team 9 of the previous year, during the second week of the Team's existence; as a gauge for her team's abilities. She was able to see just what they needed to work on, speed.

The members of Team 9 were a great deal faster then her own team and that turned out to be the deciding factor in the bout between the two. The only thing that allowed for her team to retreat with out being harassed was a massive **Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** by Naruto. From the day one she had her team working with weights, which she found out from Maito Gai, was the best way to increase the speed of the Genin.

Currently Team 10 was in the process of completing what they hoped, at least Naruto and Shikamaru, would be the last D-rank mission of their Genin days. This mission itself was one that Naruto hated with all his heart, finding and returning the cat of the Daimyo's wife. The reason he hated the mission was simple, the animal would claw his face, arms, and anything else with in reach like there was no tomorrow. But when it was with Hinata, it hardly did anything but cuddle up to the Hyuga.

Naruto, Shikamaru, as well as Anko would have wished for nothing more then to skin the cat alive, the only thing saving it was the sad eyes of Hinata when they mentioned it.

"Tell me again why we accepted this stupid mission, AGAIN!" spoke Naruto into a throat mounted microphone.

"It's simple Naruto, this is training for our future jobs, while we can't kill the damn wildcat, and we can still practice stealth, and ambush tactics on it."

"Shika-kun, Naruto-kun, please don't be so mean to Tora-chan. He is just afraid of you two; you should try to be nicer to him."

"I'm starting to hate you coming out of your shell more Hinata-chan, but I suppose you are right; since if we killed the thing we would fail our mission."

"Naruto-kun!" shouted Hinata into the headset, causing Naruto to pull the ear piece away from his head.

"Joking Hinata-chan, I would never do such a thing to the poor cat, not when I can complete the mission and return it to its "loving" owner."

Team 10 was greeted with what sounded like a pout from the Hyuga, which only caused the other three members to laugh.

"Well I have it trapped in my Kagemane, so Hinata you want to come and get it?"

"I'll be there shortly Shika-kun" was the terse reply from the girl.

After several minutes, Naruto could hear a "mission completed" come over the radio, and started to head towards the preplanned meeting point. From there the group went towards the tower to hand in the rogue cat, which seemed to be begging Hinata with its eyes to not let it go. But with reluctance, the girl had to let the "cuddly" feline go to return to it's proper owner, who promptly brought it to her chest, and started to squeeze it tightly, causing the animal's eyes to bulge out.

"That's what the stupid thing gets, though I can't blame it for running away. Maybe if it was nicer we would let it go…" mumbled Naruto towards Shikamaru, and receiving a nod of agreement.

"Ah, Team 10, done already I see. Very good, but I am sad to say we are all out of missions for you today, so you will have to return tomorrow for your next one." spoke up the Hokage from behind the desk he used for assigning out missions.

This caused Naruto to groan, as he wanted to finally do a C- Rank mission. But with the Hokage already dismissing them, it meant they would not get any kind of mission today.

"Hey Jiji, could we get a C- Rank mission tomorrow? We did the proper number of D- Rank, so we should be able to qualify, besides you already sent Team 7 three days ago." complained the blonde.

"I suppose Naruto, but only if we have one with in your Team's level of skill. So don't get your hopes up too…" he was interrupted by the sound of the side doors being thrown open, and a worried Iruka coming into the room, panic evident on his face.

"Hokage-sama, we have a problem. The mission we sent Team 7 on has just changed to at least a low-med A- Rank mission." shouted Iruka as he hurried over to the desk of the Hokage. He quickly handed the scroll in his hands over to the Hokage, and waited for the man's decision.

Sarutobi quickly read over the scroll, a scowl crossing his face as he neared finishing it. Finally done, he set it down in front of him, and set his eyes on the members of Team 10.

"Team 10, I am here by giving you a high level A- Rank mission. You mission is to go to the Country of Waves, and eliminated the person known only as Gatoh. He is the head of the Gatoh Shipping Company, and has hired several Nukenin from Kiri to assassinate the bridge builder that Team 7 was hired to protect. You are to pack up and leave immediately. This will be your first Assassination mission as Team 10; to fail could mean the destruction of the Country of Wave's economy, and the death of fellow Konoha Nin, DISSMISSED!"

With that final order Team 10 left to their respective homes to grab prepared packs, and make minor changes to what was stored in them. This was something Anko had taught them, as most of their missions would have a sensitive deadline for completion.

"Hokage-sama, are you sure they can handle a mission like this, after all we normally send ANBU or high level Jonin." asked Iruka, who was more then a little worried for all six of his pupils involved.

"This is what Anko has trained them for Iruka, and I think it is time to see the fruits of that labor. She will be with them throughout the mission should anything go wrong. I just hope they can strike before any more trouble befalls Team 7." answered the Hokage, as he started to wonder if what he had done was the right thing.

* * *

**Hyuga Compound**

As soon as they were dismissed, Hinata started straight for her home. She had her mission bag packed, and with it were her mission clothes. The only thing she would have to do is quickly change into them, and let her father know she was leaving.

She managed to make it to the compound in record time, and quickly rushed into the Dojo, where she knew her Father and Sister would be sparring. She could already hear the sounds of her father instructing Hanabi, and she wasn't even at the door yet.

Not to long after she heard them, she could finally see them. Walking up she quickly bowed to her father and sister.

"Hinata? I thought you would be training with your friends, if I had known you were finish up early I would have worked you into this session."

"I'm sorry Otuo-san, but I'm not here for training. My team just recieved a mission, our first A-rank mission. I wish I could say more, but the only thing I believe I can tell you is that we will be going to Wave Country. I'm not sure how long we will be gone, but it is a very important mission." quickly claimed Hinata, finally pausing to catch her breath.

"Ah, I understand. Hanabi, would you please step outside, I wish to speak to your sister in private. We won't be long."

Hanabi bowed to her father, and cast a quick glance at her sister before exiting the room. Hinata didn't miss the glare that was hidden in the parting look from her sister, and visibly frowned.

"Hinata" she quickly turned away from the door, and looked at her father once again.

"Hinata, don't let Hanabi's actions worry you. I fell it is my fault for how she has turned out, and I can only hope she will change, just as you have. Perhaps when you return, you can bring your team over for dinner. I'm sure Naruto could lighten the mood some." he smiled inwardly as he saw his daughter blushing.

_'She has changed so much, and yet she is still the same person deep down inside. I wouldn't have it any other way I suppose.'_ thought Hiashi as he silently laughed at his daughter.

"Now, I understand you have to meet your team soon, so let me finish what I wish to say."

"Y-yes Otou-s-san." mumbled Hinata. She quickly gave herself a few mental slaps for stuttering again after doing so well in the previous weeks.

"I know you must have felt neglected Hinata, and for that I am sorry. I did not act like the father that I should have, and turned a blind eye to your needs. But despite all of this you have still made me proud with your actions over the last few weeks. You have given hope to a person who has had little light in his life, and gave him a reason to live. By doing that you have made me proud, and yet I am ashamed as well.

"I had nothing to do with raising you the last few years, and did not see the type of person you have grown up to be. I wish I could claim I was part of what you have done, but I am afraid it would be a lie, one which I hope to fix in the coming years of our life.

"I have but one final thing to say before you leave. I understand the type of mission your team is likly to be going out on, and I wish for you to know that no matter what you have made me proud to be your father. When you return home, if you need to speak of the mission, or confide in someone, know that my door will always be open to you, my _Shirahime._"

As he said the last line, hiashi stepped forward and wrapped his daughter in a hug, something that had been missing from her life the last few years. Both Hyugas could feel the tears of the other, as the embraced each other.

* * *

**Konoha East Gates**

Anko was standing by the gates; her outfit had changed for the upcoming mission. She now wore black pants that conformed to her figure, and a similar style of shirt, with a fishnet shirt underneath it. She still wore her tan trench coat, and white shin guards, but now instead of a flirt or a tease, she was all business.

Shikamaru came running up dressed in what would have passed for a Jonin or Chunin uniform, with a black long sleeved shirt that covered the entire length of his arms. His legs were covered in a similar fashion by his pants. He wore his Hitaiate on his left arm, and had his Kyoketsu Shoge was tied to his waist, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.

Hinata and Naruto came running up together, which surprised no one except the guards at this point. Over the weeks they had trained, the two hard started to get closer together, with Naruto confiding his inner feelings to the Hyuga, and she doing the same with the Kazama Heir.

Hinata was dressed in a similar fashion to Anko, with tight pants, and a holster on each leg, one for Senbon, the other for her kunai. Over the weeks her accuracy with the Senbon started to rival that of Anko, and with her **Byakugan**, she could send them at pressure points along the human body. Her shirt, from what one could see, was dark blue, and did not hug her figure as Anko's own did, but still left little to the imagination of those who had seen it. But due to her modesty, she still covered her body up with a baggy dark blue jacket, which went just past her waist, and preserved her modesty, for her father's benefit.

Naruto's clothing had gone through the most drastic change, and he now resembled the stereotypical ninja often seen in movies. He wore baggy black pants, with his twin wakizashi in their holsters on his legs; he also wore dark red leather greaves covering his shins. On his waist one could see a small kunai holster, and several small scrolls that he could use during combat.

His shirt was that of a movie Ninja, and had a deep cutting neckline, that revealed his well muscled chest underneath a net shirt, just like the rest of the team. The shirt also covered majority of his arms, only leaving his finger visible after the fabric ended. On his forearms he wore dark red leather bracers, which also had several sets of shuriken hidden with in the confines of the leather. The mask portion of the shirt was left hanging down, which blocked the view of his chest. His Hitaiate was wrapped around his forehead, and was unrolled to cover his bright blonde hair.

Out of the four members of the team, Naruto was also the only one who never brought a pack on missions, he only brought several scrolls which were either around his waist, or tied in holders upon his back, and across his chest in a bandolier.

Once the two aspiring love birds arrived, Anko moved from the wall to address her team.

"Now that we are all here, let's get some things hammered out. This is not training any more, but the real deal, so do not hesitate to kill any enemies we come across; I can promise you that they would not do the same for you. Once we get closer to the Country of Waves, I will brief you more on our target, and once we reach Wave, we will gather Intel, and then proceed to finish our mission.

"Remember your training, and remember to stick together, failure is not an option, as the well being of an entire country may depend on us. Let's move out!"

With those final words, the massive gates of Konoha opened up, and Team 10 vanished into the trees, and started their way towards the Land of Waves.

* * *

**A/N: **Another chapter down, and questions answered, and some raised I'm sure. I hope you like the name I selected for the Alter, and it's first attack. I tried looking for a translated name that already existed, but came up short. So I ended up using a translation site to find what I felt was a fitting name. Look for the next chapter in a month's time from this chapter.

I am behind in writing the newest chapter, mostly because I went back to previous chapters in 'Life of Uzumaki Naruto' and did some editing work. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, and I am sorry about the confusion I caused. So please, bear with me, and I will have the next chapter ASAP.

Also, I wanted to get some feedback from my readers on something I might plan on doing starting the next chapter, or perhaps the 5th, depending on how things turn out. So let me know what you think.

* * *

**QUESTION:**

This is something I was kicking around in my head. I will not be changing the Naru/Hina relationship, only looking to see if people would mind me adding to it. If most just want it to stay Naru/Hina, then that is what I will do.

I am currently thinking of extending the relation ship between Naru/Hina, and involving another person form the Narutoverse. I didn't plan on doing this, but I want the opinions of the readers on a ?/Naru/Hina pairing. It will not be Yaoi, and I have a run down of who I would consider. They are basically people the same age, or close enough that the age will not be an issue. For those who love Naru/Anko, it won't be happening here sadly due to their relationship already.

Temari

Kin

Ino

Fem Haku

Hana Inuzuka

That's about the list I've come up with, myself I am leaning towards Fem Haku because of the similar backgrounds the three would have. Not to say Kin and Temari wouldn't fit, but I've always seen Haku as a chick, which is the way I think it should have been in the Manga... Let me know what you guys think.

* * *

**Jutsu: **Thanks to Wikipedia for translation, and names of techniques. 

**Kagemane no Jutsu** / Shadow Imitation Technique:

The signature move of the Nara family, the user's shadow is extended to touch the opponent's shadow, combining them. This links the movements of the user with the target; the target is subsequently forced to make any movement the user makes. It is an extremely versatile technique, as the user can contract and change the shape of their shadow, potentially grabbing multiple targets at once. Using the shadows of other objects, the user can also extend their shadow beyond its normal range. The amount of time for which an opponent can be held is limited by the user's chakra, since the user must constantly maintain the jutsu. Additionally, the target can force their way free with enough effort, though a considerable amount of effort is required to do so.

**Nikudan Sensha** / Meat Tank:

**Nikudan Sensha** is a jutsu passed down in the Akimichi clan. After the user uses **Baika no Jutsu / **Multi-Size Technique to make themselves into a human-sized ball, they tuck their limbs inside their clothes and use chakra to propel themselves into a powerful roll. Because chakra is used as a propellant, and food energy is the source of this chakra, it can only be used so much in a short span of time.

**Baika no Jutsu / **Multi-Size Technique:

This is a secret jutsu passed down in the Akimichi clan that expands the user's stomach. This jutsu increases the user's body size, using up the user's food energy by converting calories into chakra. Akimichi clan members tend to eat fattening foods and have large physiques in order to support this technique.

**Sen'eijashu** / Hidden Shadow Snake Hand:

This jutsu allows the user to project several snakes from their wrist as they make a punching motion towards their intended target. The snakes bite and wrap around the given target, potentially inflicting multiple wounds. They are even capable of poisoning the victim.


	4. Journey to Wave

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Naruto_, or s-_CRY-ed_. I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them.

**A/N:** There will be a number of flashbacks, and they may take up most of the chapter.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'**_Demon Thoughts'

* * *

_**

_**Previously**_

"Team 10, I am here by giving you a high level A- Rank mission. You mission is to go to the Country of Waves, and eliminated the person known only as Gatoh. He is the head of the Gatoh Shipping Company, and has hired several Nukenin from Kiri to assassinate the bridge builder that Team 7 was hired to protect. You are to pack up and leave immediately. This will be your first Assassination mission as Team 10; to fail could mean the destruction of the Country of Wave's economy, and the death of fellow Konoha Nin, DISSMISSED!"

With that final order, Team 10 left to their respective homes to grab prepared packs, and make minor changes to what was stored in them. This was something Anko had taught them, as most of their missions would have a sensitive deadline for completion.

"Hokage-sama, are you sure they can handle a mission like this, after all we normally send ANBU or high level Jonin." asked Iruka, who was more then a little worried for all six of his pupils involved.

"This is what Anko has trained them for Iruka, and I think it is time to see the fruits of that labor. She will be with them throughout the mission should anything go wrong. I just hope they can strike before any more trouble befalls Team 7" answered the Hokage as he started to wonder if what he had done was the right thing.

"Now that we are all here, let's get some things hammered out. This is not training any more, but the real deal, so do not hesitate to kill any enemies we come across; I can promise you that they would not do the same for you. Once we get closer to the Country of Waves, I will brief you more on our target, and once we reach Wave, we will gather Intel, and then proceed to finish our mission.

"Remember your training, and remember to stick together, failure is not an option, as the well being of an entire country may depend on us. Let's move out!"

With those final words, the massive gates of Konoha opened up, and Team 10 vanished into the trees, and started their way towards the Land of Waves.

* * *

**Journey to Wave**

Team 10 started to the trees as soon as the gates opened, and stayed in them when they were able to. The method of travel was in a line, and among the trees, with Anko leading, followed by Naruto, Shikamaru and Hinata respectively.

The group traveled in relative silence and with Anko setting the pace. While traveling each of them started to reflect upon the time spent training, and getting to know their teammates better.

Naruto could not have been happier in the previous weeks, getting to know his newfound sister better, and learn more about his father and mother. The only thing he could have done with out was the shopping fiasco that occurred after their first meeting.

* * *

**Flashback**

After the now wide spread raid on Team 7, Team 10 could be seen moving from store to store, among the stores they visited were clothing stores, as well as weapon and scroll stores.

They were currently inside of a clothing store, which happened to have an owner who nearly wet herself. The cause for the near premature release of her bodily functions was none other then Anko, and the kunai to the woman's throat. After that, the woman was more then happy to assist the group in what they were looking for.

Anko had walked around the store and selected a number of dark hued clothes, ranging from midnight blue, a dark forest green, dark gray, and a few select black pieces of clothing.

"Now our first stop is to find Naruto-kun some every day clothes, that way we can keep him from burning our eyes out with those disgusting orange jumpsuits. We want him to look decent, but still be able to perform his duties as a Shinobi if needed. So with my great taste in style, and Hinata-chan's approval, we will make him into a heartthrob to rival that of the moody Uchiha!" shouted Anko, causing the others to blush, mumble, or wonder just what person they pissed off in a past life to deserve such punishment.

"Now Naruto-kun, I need you to try on these clothes for me. I picked some shirts that will be tight, but that also gives you a little more movement. These should help show off that body you always hid underneath those baggy clothes. You have a great physique, so do not be afraid to flaunt all of your hard work. This can help people notice you, and start to take you seriously for once, instead of laughing at you. I am going to be focusing mostly on you right now, since the others have chances to buy these types of clothes.

"Now I can only guess this is your first time because of those horrendous orange jumpsuits. If the other two want though, they can buy some clothes for themselves. After this we will move to another shop for training, armor, and mission apparel; that store deals with just about every aspect of Shinobi life as well, so we should be able to find all that we need there." finished Anko as she handed Naruto several shirts, pants, and gave him a wink, and a grin.

Once again finding himself worried about his Sensei's grin, he slowly went towards the changing rooms. Before he went in, he caught Shikamaru looking around the shop, and Anko and Hinata sitting down together, seemingly talking together.

Anko smiled at the back of Naruto before she turned to the young Hyuga next to her.

"Hinata-chan, I have a question for you, if you don't mind me asking that is." was Anko's opening remark in an all too sweet sounding voice.

Hinata only nodded to the woman, not trusting her voice fully yet around this woman. If only she knew, the torture Anko had in mind for her; but sadly, she did not, and would regret this up coming topic.

"Naruto-kun is supposed to have rather large Chakra reserves right?" asked Anko. Hearing the rather innocent question, she gathered her confidence before answering.

"Yes, he is suppose to have rather large reserves, which is what allows him to use the **Kage Bunshin** techniques so easily with out worrying about Chakra Exhaustion and Depletion." stated Hinata firmly, and missing the large smile on Anko's face.

"I see, besides your clans bloodline limit, did you know that there is another way to see how large a male's reserves are, not to mention a way to see a female's Chakra reserves without having to use the **Byakugan**. Would you be interested in knowing how Hinata-chan?" added Anko once again, this time with a small mischievous glint in her eyes which Hinata missed sadly.

Hinata nodded her head, which caused Anko to lean over and start to whisper into her ear, almost as if sharing some deep secret.

"Well you see Hinata-chan, to see how large a male's Chakra reserves are, you only have to look…."

Shikamaru watched to two female members of his team talking, and noticed the sudden and intense blush that spread across Hinata's face. That alone was nothing new, but what was out of character for the girl was the sudden nosebleed she seemed to suffer. Right after the river of blood came out of Hinata's nose; she promptly passed out, and left Anko rolling on the floor laughing. Mumbling about women, he turned back to looking at the clothes, wondering if he should change his clothing as well.

Naruto was busy looking at the shirts he was given, white, red, green, blue, black, gray, yellow, and just about every other color he could imagine except for one, orange. Some of the shirts were loose; others would be like a second layer of skin on him.

Mixed in with the standard shirts were mesh shirts, short sleeved and some with no sleeves, the same as his other shirts. It was obvious to him that Anko was going to start at one part of the body, and work from there. Right now, he was mostly trying out undershirts; some could be regular shirts as well in a pinch.

Smiling, he selected a number of shirts with no sleeves, which would be tight on him. He picked a wide range of colors, including red, black, green, white and yellow. He also added a few sleeveless mesh shirts into the pile of clothes he planned on buying.

Picking on one of the mesh shirts, he pulled it on, and stepped out of the room to see what Anko and the rest of the team thought about it.

Anko and the newly revived and blushing Hinata turned towards the changing rooms when they heard the door open. They both watched as a nearly bare chest Naruto walked out of the room, and stood in front of them.

Anko was pleased to see how well developed the boy was at such a young age, which only reminded her more of what she wanted to talk to him about later that night.

"Very nice Naruto-kun, I must say though, you might not want to walk around outside like that, unless you want rabid girls chasing after you, again."

"Thanks Sensei and I don't plan on reliving that nightmare any time soon. I had my fill of them yesterday and today, so no worries crap…" trailed off Naruto as he looked to the window of the shop.

Gathered at the window were a number of village women, some Kunoichi among the group, most though looked to be normal villagers. Many were shouting for him to come outside, others were trying to force their way inside, only to stop when the clerk quickly locked the door, and closed the curtains with her own blush on her face.

"Great, it looks like I'm going to have to fight my way out, again" mumbled Naruto as he turned back to his team.

"Oh, don't worry about them Naruto-kun, I'm sure between me and Hinata-chan we can keep them back, isn't that right." answered Anko, while nudging Hinata in the ribs with her elbow. This only served to cause the girl to fall over onto her side, and notify everyone that she had once again fainted, and seemed to have another blood trail gracing her face once again.

Naruto panicked when he saw her passed out, and with a trail of blood on her face, not realizing what caused the situation. He rushed over and quickly sat her up in the chair, while using his old shirt to clean the blood from her face.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, I think it would be best if you went ahead and picked out your clothes, I already pulled some pants and normal shirts for you to wear. You let me worry about her, and you focus on something else." stated Anko as she placed a hand on his shoulder, and held back her laughter.

Nodding, Naruto grabbed the clothes Anko had pulled out for him, and went back to trying the clothes on. Finally, after nearly thirty minutes inside of the room, he walked out, and when he did, it caused a number of jaws to drop.

Naruto came out of the room in the same black mesh shirt he had on before, but over it was a looser red shirt, with a v-shaped cut over the chest, revealing the undershirt. Over that, he wore a dark blue long sleeved shirt, with a high collar, and left unbuttoned. His pants were a standard black, and slightly baggy, with sandals made in the same color. The only things missing were his hitaiate and his holsters.

The clothes, while a little different, reminded the older and more educated people in the store of someone from nearly thirteen years in the past. The hitaiate not holding his hair back also added to resemblance, as it let Naruto's hair tumbled down over the front of his head. (Think of Yondaime's picture with his Team)

"So how do I look? "Asked Naruto as he walked towards them, and spun around to give them a good look of his new set of clothes.

"N-Naruto is that really you?" asked a stunned Shikamaru, for once in his life speechless out of shock, and not laziness. Seeing Naruto now made him feel like he was actually looking at the Yondaime reincarnate. He had known that Naruto looked like him before, but now he was dressed in similar clothes to what the Yondaime wore in several of the textbooks.

Anko looked to be almost giddy with excitement at his new look, making her eager to talk to him some time soon.

'_Kaa-san, I hope you can see this, Otou-san you must be proud right now.'_

Hinata was speechless as well, knowing of his past now and seeing how he looked, she couldn't help but admire him.

Even other people shopping in the store couldn't help but see the resemblance he had to the deceased Yondaime.

"I guess that means I look okay, here are the other clothes I wanted to get. I can't believe I actually have something that could be called a wardrobe now…" exclaimed Naruto energetically as he scratched the back of his head with a smile on his face.

Nodding her head, Anko walked to the front counter with her team, and paid for the clothes. Now came the part Naruto was going to hate the most, braving the hoards of girls.

"Don't worry about your fans Naruto-kun, I'll take care of them with Hinata-chan's help." and with that said, Anko dragged said girl outside, and let in the noise of several rabid groupies calling for the 'hot blonde'; which caused Naruto to shudder, and Shikamaru to laugh at his expense.

"You know Shikamaru; I think I actually feel sorry for Sasuke now that I have to go through this too… I think I'll make sure I do my laundry before anything else from now on," mumbled Naruto, once again causing Shikamaru to laugh.

"Like I always said though Naruto, women are troublesome, but look at it this way; Sensei and Hinata will probably take care of them for you, unlike Sasuke."

True to those words, screams coming from outside the small shop could be heard, some of pain, anger, but a majority of them was from fear. What could scare that many people, neither of the boys wanted to know.

After several minutes of screams, the door finally opened with a very pleased Anko, and with a perturbed looking Hinata, who looked to be dusting her hands off. When Hinata looked up, and her eyes meet Naruto's, he saw something he had never seen before, anger. The anger she held in her eyes caused Naruto to flinch, and slightly stumble, then her eyes flashed, and took on the same kind look she always held.

"Well, next stop, time for training clothes and weapons!" shouted Anko pumping a fist up and down while marching out side.

As Naruto and Shikamaru walked out side, they could hardly believe their eyes. Several Kunoichi were pinned to the walls by Kunai and shuriken, others were huddled over on the ground holding their arms, legs, or abdomen. Many had small chakra burns on their extremities, and others had what looks like bite marks from snakes.

Naruto and Shikamaru both paused, and looked each other in the eye. In that brief instance, both mentally agreed with the other on one thing, never piss Hinata and Anko off.

Shaking off their shared trepidation, they quickly followed the two female members of the group.

* * *

**Present**

Naruto was shaken out of his thoughts as Anko called a halt in their travels for a short break. Each member quickly took up space under one of the trees, and pulled out their canteens for sips of water to help re-hydrate them.

Hinata watched as Anko sat next to Naruto, speaking with him in hushed tones.

She wasn't worried though, she would probably find out what they talked about from Naruto later. She also knew of their relationship, and was once again happy to see that the one she admired had people in his life who acknowledged him.

She couldn't help but smile as she remembered the weeks before this, and how the team started to interact with each other. To those who had spent little time with the group, it would seem as if they were grouped together for some time.

To those who actually knew the young Genin and the Jonin, they would be amazed at how closely they were working together in such a short amount of time. That was not the only surprise they would find with Team 10. The personalities of each member seemed to be different as well, nearly the exact opposite of what they were in weeks prior.

One would also never think about the shy little Heiress, and the thoughts that now flowed through her head thanks to her Sensei.

'_Hinata-chan, surely you don't want these girls to get your Naruto-kun. After all they could care less about his personality, all they want is to bare his child, and to use him as a love-toy.'_ were Anko's when they first confronted the fan girls outside the first shop. She of course while shy, would never let anyone use _**HER**_ Naruto-kun like that. Therefore, with Anko's help she made sure none of them would try it again while she was around.

Blushing, she suddenly thought back to what happened during their trip for the training clothes for the team, her blush rising in intensity with each passing moment.

* * *

**Flashback**

They had just left the shop for Naruto's new day-to-day clothes, and were making their way to a small shop that dealt with training clothes, weapons and armor for Shinobi. While walking there, Hinata and Anko sent several glares towards whatever girls that tried to come near Naruto.

Neither of the two girls noticed the sudden look of fear on the faces of Naruto and Shikamaru. This they expected from their Sensei, but to see Hinata acting like this nearly scared the pants off both of them.

Thankfully, for Naruto and Shikamaru, they finally made it to the shop they had been looking for, and quickly moved into the shop.

Once in, Naruto was thankful that the store didn't have large windows in the front of the store, like most other shops tended to do.

"Okay, we are going to get some training clothes for each of you; I'd say at least 7 pairs will do. Over all they should be loose, and allow you a full range of motion. The only thing you need to watch out for is selecting something too loose, since that could snag on something while training and rip. I'll take little Hinata-chan over here to the women's section, you two boys find your own clothes." and with that, Anko skipped off to the women's section of the store with a reluctant Hinata being pulled along.

"I wish I could say I feel sorry for Hinata, but honestly, I'm glad it is her, because I don't want to be near our Sensei right now." mumbled Shikamaru as he turned to look at the clothes.

Naruto couldn't help but nod, though he did feel sorry for Hinata, since no one could ever guess what someone like Anko would do.

Naruto was walking around the shop, and looking at the different styles and colors of clothing just a little overwhelmed with things. It wasn't often he actually _had_ a choice in what he wanted to buy and wear or use.

Sure, at the last store, it was nearly the same thing, but there Anko had pulled several things off the racks, and then let him narrow things down from there. Now he had to start from scratch, with out the help of his Sensei.

With a frown evident on his face, he started to walk around the store to find what would be proper for training.

Anko and Hinata were busy looking around in the females section, mostly at things Hinata would never let her self be seen wearing. It was while she was thinking this that Anko stopped them in front of a rack of black clothing.

On the rack were several mesh suits, similar to what Anko was currently wearing, as well as black pants, which seemed baggy, but not too baggy. Some of the pants had slits in the sides running from about mid-calf to mid-thigh on the outsides of the pants. Hinata could only imagine the pants billowing out while practicing in them, or running through the surrounding forests.

"Now, I think we will get you a few mesh shirts like my own, as well as some of these pants. Of course I'm sure your clan wouldn't want you to walk around in a mesh shirt all the time, so we will get the shirt that goes with these pants, ok?" rambled off Anko as she started to grab things off of the rack.

With out waiting for Hinata's protest, or agreement, she moved the girl to the center of the store, and the changing rooms located there. Once there she quickly pushed the younger girl into the room, and threw the clothes on top of her head, and closed the door.

"You go ahead and start trying those on, I'm going to check on the boys," yelled Anko, and with that she quickly walked away to find a certain blonde-haired person who was bound to freeze at the sinister smile on her face.

When she found Naruto, he was looking at different colored gi, which would normally be ideal for their training purposes. He looked to be having a hard time though deciding if it would be the right thing to wear or not.

"Those would probably be suitable for our daytime exercises, but I wouldn't recommend them for nighttime exercises, where we will practice our stealth. Don't worry about that though, I have the perfect idea. I'll pick them out for you later. Right now I want you to come with me, and tell me what you think of Hinata-chan," stated Anko as she walked up to the boy, clearly surprising him.

Naruto looked at his Sensei, and nodded. He quickly selected the tops and bottoms, as well as several belts; the colors selected for the tops, bottoms and belts were simple white, red, black, green, blue and gray. With them, he grabbed several wristbands, and headbands to wear, that way his hitaiate would not be damaged during training.

Once he was done, he followed Anko to where she had taken Hinata moments earlier. Once there she had Naruto sit across from the stall Hinata occupied, and turned towards the door with a wicked smile on her face.

Grabbing a few items from a nearby stand, she walked over to the door that hid Hinata from view.

"Oh Hinata-chan, I have something else I wanted you to try on, I think it will be perfect for you." called out Anko as she knocked on the stall door.

Hinata was just about to pull on one of the shirts Anko had chosen for her. A black shirt that went up to the lower part of her back, and then would wrap around the front to loop around her neck. There would be nothing covering the upper part of her back, and since the shirt wasn't tight, if the wind or her movements were just right, it might expose more of her front then she had ever shown anyone before. It was because of this that she was glad to have the mesh shirt underneath, which was designed with Kunoichi in mind since it would obscure those intimate details from view.

She was about to answer her Sensei when she heard the lock being jimmied, and saw the door opening. She didn't have time to move to block the door, or to call out as Anko flung the door open revealing Hinata to Naruto.

Anko had waited until there were no other people within sight of the room before she flung the door open, and reveal Naruto to Hinata, and Hinata to Naruto. She had timed it just right to as Hinata was about to turn around, and give Naruto a view of the entire front portion of her body; thankfully for Naruto and Hinata he only got a glance at her profile.

Naruto saw the door being flung open and couldn't help but stare at the sight of Hinata in black pants, with the sides cut open revealing her pale, yet well-toned legs. It also gave him a nice idea of the rest of her figure up until her waist. From there all he saw was a mesh shirt barely concealing all of Hinata's ivory skin from the world. As his eyes continued to move up he saw more and more of her, most of which was always hidden by her baggy jacket. It was when he got to the upper part of her back, and she started to turn that he saw a glimpse of what was really hidden by her jacket.

To Naruto's credit, he didn't stare for long; he didn't even develop a nosebleed like most people would at such a sight. All that happened was his eyes rolled up and into the back of his head as he passed out.

Hinata developed a new shade of crimson at being seen by Naruto, and quickly brought her arms up to keep some form of modesty. Unfortunately, for her the embarrassment was not over yet. Because just as Naruto passed out, Shikamaru came from one of the numerous aisles in the store. When he saw Naruto's conditioned, he turned in the direction Naruto was facing, and noticed Hinata.

Sadly, for Shikamaru he wasn't as lucky as Naruto had been. Living a sheltered life, and hardly being exposed to such things, he developed a massive nosebleed, which sent him catapulting into clothing racks behind him.

Hinata was now thoroughly embarrassed, and quickly grabbed the door to the room and slammed it closed. Her face looked like a piece of iron left sitting in a fire for hours.

Anko was once again enjoying her self and playing matchmaker for her two lovebirds. She could easily tell how smitten Hinata was with Naruto, and how much Naruto seemed to like the girl even when he didn't know it yet. She was surprised Naruto didn't react more to the sight of Hinata nearly nude, but she contributed that to his research for his **Oiroke no Jutsu** (Sexy Technique). She wasn't too surprised by the reaction of Shikamaru, since she had figured he never saw many things like that, or his mom would kill him.

She was going to enjoy tormenting her little brother, and hopefully her little sister if things progressed how she wanted them to. Anko was going to be sure to write Rin about these developments, of course that would be after she told Naruto of his past tonight.

While Anko was thinking of these things she heard a loud **thud** come from within the changing room. Slightly opening the door, she saw Hinata sitting on the floor and against the wall with a smile on her face.

"Ah to be young again, what a time I would have. If only Hinata knew how much of the truth I spoke when talking to her earlier… Still though, I'm surprise at how developed she is, heck she is almost as developed as I am. She could give Tsunade-sama a run for her money when she gets older." and with that Anko started the process of waking her Genin up and finishing their shopping for the day.

* * *

**Present**

Hinata was glad that the shopping ended short that day, since Anko had to talk to Naruto privately about something. Then there was the fact that the three Genin could hardly look each other in the eye for the next three days. She was mortified when she knew Naruto AND Shikamaru had seen her in less clothing then she would have liked, though it was mostly from Shikamaru seeing her, and less about Naruto seeing her.

'_Sensei must be rubbing off on me… I thought it was bad then, but now she has me tempted to use my _**Byakugan**_ during _certain_ times. Then there is the book she wanted me to read, Icha Icha Paradise.'_

"Let's get moving we've had a long enough break. If we keep with this pace, we should be at the coast by the morning," yelled out Anko as she stood from beside Naruto and waited for the others to regroup around her.

"We'll keep the same formation for the next few miles. After about ten miles, we should come across the _Onikyodai_ (The Demon Brothers), which Team 7 confronted about two days into their mission. They should be tied up along the roadway, but we can't let our guard down just because of that. They are Chunin Level Shinobi from Kiri, and are lethal when working together. If we come across them, try to separate them, and finish them off, if Kakashi hasn't already.

"When fighting them, avoid their gauntlets at all costs. They normally coat _all_ of their weapons in poisons; I may know poisons but I don't want to slow down any more then we have to. This is going to be a test for you three, because from this point on it is kill or be killed situations the next few days. Once we get to Wave Country, we will try to gather information about Gatoh's location, and then move in for the kill if we get the chance. Now let's GO!" and with those words she took to the trees closely followed by the three Genin.

The four now traveled in complete silence, each of them concentrating on their surroundings. None of them wanted to be caught by surprise by anything in the area, much less two people who were supposed to be tied up near by.

The stress of the situation was easily reflected on the youths that were traveling through the trees. They were no longer as carefree as they had been until this point; they were now focused, and straining with all of their senses to discern where any potential enemy may be hiding. In the end, Hinata would be the one to break the silence.

As the group traveled, Hinata would periodically activate her **Byakugan** to check the surrounding areas. It was during this time that she found the traces of a battle, just days old, maybe less. She quickly issued out the call, in a series of whistles, which was devised by Anko, to tell them to stop.

Once stopped, everyone could see the log that was sliced, obviously the subject of a well timed **Kawarimi**. Other signs of battle consisted of broken tree limbs, ruts in the road from a massive weight, and pretty much a destroyed area of forest. The latter part had to have been from Choji, if the four had to guess at least.

"Hinata, do you see anyone tied to a tree around here?" asked Anko as she withdrew a kunai from the sleeve of her coat.

Hinata wasted little time in answering as she continued to survey the area with her eyes, taking in all of the details.

"I don't see anyone tied up Sensei, but I believe I see the remains of some wires about 20 yards up the path," answered Hinata.

"This changes things a little, we will have to head to meet up with Team 7 at the Bridge Builder's house, and see what information we can get from them. After that, we go out and gather what information we can on Gatoh, and his known locations, as well as the Kiri-nins that were contracted to eliminate the Bridge Builder.

"We will continue through the trees, except I want Hinata to keep her **Byakugan** active as much as possible. If we keep up on this pace, we should be able to make it to the coast by tonight; from then on, we change into our disguises, and assume the roles I've selected for you. We will keep them up until we reach Wave and rendezvous with Team 7."

The team didn't respond as they followed Anko to the trees once again, each of them now on the edge of paranoia. The Genin were starting to jump at the slightest sounds, each of them believing it could be their prey. None of them acted on their paranoia, each waiting to see if it was proven correct or not. Even with Hinata's **Byakugan** they stayed on the razor's edge.

Anko could see them jumping at the smallest of noises, and she couldn't blame them. They were technically in enemy territory, and did not know the number of enemies they would be facing, or all of their skills. Add to the fact that they didn't know the current state of Team 7, and were actually _hoping_ they were in Wave country, and not in a ditch on the side of the road.

Finally, after several hours of complete silence, except for the natural noises of the forest, they came to the east coast of Fire Country just as night started to settle in on the land. Finally, Anko called a halt in a small clearing.

"Alright, we will camp here for the night, and then catch a ferry across to Wave Country in our disguisesBoys, you go back to that spring we passed and gather some water for us, I think we are each probably running on empty by now. Use the rations you have for dinner tonight, since we still don't know if there is enemy Shinobi in the area."

Both boys nodded before heading back towards the spring, idly chatting now, though they still kept their voices low.

"Hinata, let's get our tent set up and get some of the rations ready for when they get back, it's the least we could do."

After about thirty minutes, Naruto and Shikamaru returned to the clearing with all of their canteens filled, and sat around the small lantern set up in the middle of the site. Each member of the team sat there eating the small dry food rations, and sipping their water, and each of them in their own thoughts.

"Alright, I've told you about the first group we were supposed to face, and now I think I should tell you more about them. Afterwards we should get to bed, and remember the watch schedule we have planned out."

Each person nodded his or her heads, now eagerly paying attention to what Anko would say next.

"The group we are going to face is likely lead by the _Kiri Gakure no Kijin_ (Demon of the Hidden Mist), Momochi Zabuza. He is a former Kiri ANBU level Jonin of Kiri Gakure, and a member of the _Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu_ (Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist). He fled his home country after a failed coup d'etat against the Mizukage, since then he has been running around the Land of Water, and the adjoining lands gathering forces for another attempt" she paused as she looked around the group to make sure they absorbed the information. Once she saw each of them give her a nod, she continued.

"His only known associates consist of the Onikyodai (The Demon Brothers) by the name of Gozu and Meizu, and a fake Hunter-nin with a powerful Kekkei Genkai. We don't know the person's name, age or gender, but from witnesses, the person appears to be near your age. What we have seen from reports is that the person is very well versed in acupuncture. The Kekkei Genkai of the person seems to be based in the manipulation of ice and water, so they will have the advantage in Wave Country" Anko paused once again, this time seeing interest in the eyes of Hinata when she mentioned acupuncture. Hyugas were also well versed in those arts, though they used Chakra instead of senbon needles to aid them, not to mention that for most Hyuga it was used to harm, and not heal.

"Since the group is from Kiri, we should assume they are well versed in Water based Jutsus, and should be considered extremely dangerous because of the terrain. Aside from that, Zabuza is known for his skills with his Zanbato; Gozu and Meizu wield claw like gauntlets, specialize in tag team attacks, and often use a chain that connects them to each other in those attacks. They are infamous for the use of different varieties of poisons on their claws, meaning you should avoid any contact with them, even if I am here. That is all that we know of the Nin that we may come across, any questions. "

Each of the Genin started to process the information they were given, filing it away, and thinking of what should be done if confronted with any of the mentioned Shinobi. It was while they were doing this that Hinata asked the first question.

"Sensei, during our training my father gave me a copy of the Bingo book, and inside it listed that Zabuza was a master of something called the_ Muon Satsujin Jutsu_ (Silent Homicide Technique), and I was wondering what you knew about this" asked the girl, with little hesitation or a hint of a stutter.

Anko smiled at the girl's question, proud that she would ask about the combat style of their opponent to be.

"It is a method used by some Kiri assassins where they utilize a dense fog or mist to blind their targets, and move in without a sound and strike at one of the critical points of the Human body. There is the throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, jugular vein, subclavian artery, kidney and heart. Each of these targets promises a near instant death of the person struck. The first target would normally be the throat and the jugular; this is so that it can prevent any screams of pain from the victim. It is also designed to kill in one hit, which might be why Zabuza choose it as his specialty."

Anko watched on as the Genin showed an obvious reaction to the answer. Naruto was rubbing his throat with his hand, as if he was imagining the attack being done to him already. Shikamaru was scratching the back of his neck, where he seemed to be imagining the attack there as well. Hinata held her hands over her chest, as if to ward off any blow sent there.

"To make things worst, Zabuza is reported to be able to perform it flawlessly. While hiding in the mist he creates, he moves without the slightest of noises, and is rumored to be able to track down his victims by the sounds they make. Hinata, this shouldn't be a problem for you because of your **Byakugan**. Naruto, Shikamaru, you two should stay close to Hinata or me when and if we confront him. If separated keep as silent as possible, and remember not to trust your eyes when in this mist."

Again, each nodded to her in understanding, and then went back to considering any other possible questions to ask.

Anko sat there and watched them for several minutes, and when she could tell no other questions were going to be asked any time soon, she decided to call it a night.

"I think it is time to call it a night, we covered a lot of ground today, and I'm proud that you were able to do it with little trouble. I guess asking Gai for training tips paid off in the end, since not even Shikamaru seemed to be too winded from our sprint. I'll take the first watch, followed by Hinata, then Shikamaru and Naruto taking the last shift. Get all the sleep you can because we start for the nearest dock at sunrise," and with those words the group split up.

Naruto and Shikamaru went to the tent they shared, while Hinata went to the tent she shared with Anko.

Once inside the tents, the respective members either changed to sleeping clothes, or made themselves comfortable for the night.

In the boys' tent, Shikamaru pulled off his long sleeved shirt, and removed his weapons from their hidden places, as well as from his belt. Once that was done, he kicked off his sandals, and flopped down onto his sleeping bag in just a black mesh shirt.

Naruto stripped off his scrolls, making sure to pull one particular scroll from the bandolier; which he unrolled, bite his thumb, and ran it across the inner portion. This caused several items to appear there on the floor in a flash of smoke; the objects that appeared were a small pillow, sleeping bag, and a small case to hold the numerous scrolls he always carried with him.

The final object that Shikamaru could see was a dark ash gray spandex suit, similar to the ones worn by Maito Gai and Rock Lee.

"Ah come on Naruto, don't tell me you actually want to wear one of those disgusting things. Didn't Sensei say she would skin you alive if she ever found you in one?" asked the incredulous Nara.

Naruto just grinned at the dark haired boy while he grabbed the suit and started to strip and change into it. While he was changing, he decided to answer the question left hanging in the air.

"Well she said she would kill me if she ever saw me in the one Gai-sensei gave me when I started training with him in Taijutsu. My suit though is different from that one, so there shouldn't be a problem. Besides, I think it's cool, and it's great for what we are supposed to do. I can wear this under the disguise tomorrow, and be ready to fight if we need to," claimed Naruto as he finished putting the suit on.

"I swear Naruto, you are more of a pain now then you were in the Academy, but I think I could honestly say I wouldn't have it any other way. You really aren't that bad of a person once someone gets to know the real you, if you let them that is," mumbled Shikamaru as he threw a pillow at Naruto.

Naruto caught the pillow, and directed a small scroll at the head of Shikamaru, who quickly caught the scroll, and sat back down to get some sleep before his watch.

"I still don't know why I have to be disguised as the monk, and you get to be the peasant. I don't see how I can be a monk; I don't even know how a monk is supposed to act! Then there is the fact that Sensei is going to be disguised as a priestess, which is a joke by itself…"ranted Naruto as he quickly followed Shikamaru's example, and crawled into his bag to catch a few brief hours of sleep.

"Just do what you do best, and act like you know Naruto, after all that seems to be what you are good at. You even had me fooled in the Academy with your little disguise, just treat this the same way. After all your experiences with making people view you as something you actually are not, it should be easy," mumbled Shikamaru as he covered his head up with another pillow.

Naruto could only sigh in defeat as the other boy effectively ended the conversation. He couldn't argue though, he did seem to have a knack for disguises, one he used often through out his life. The main problem he had with this disguise is that he was supposed to act like a _lecherous_ monk. Anko wanted him to womanize, and occasionally try to grope women, and come up with some crazy story about needing to have an heir to continue some quest for him. It really made him feel uncomfortable having to act like that.

The only problem with the ones he had used so far was when to let them go, and let people know the real him. After all Shikamaru has only known the real Naruto for a little over four weeks now, and that was because of Anko forcing him to tell his darkest secrets to the Nara.

That was actually something Naruto never planed on doing, but he had to admit, Shikamaru had a right to know if they were going to be on the same team. He had to admit though, it went better then he thought it would.

It was funny though, he had never planned on talking about it in front of someone's family as he did with Shikamaru. The look on his dad's face was priceless though, and even now, the man couldn't keep from staring at him.

* * *

**Flashback**

Team 10 had just finished their first official week of training and missions together, and had celebrated the small milestone by going to a nice restaurant. For the occasion, they selected one that served something besides dango and ramen.

Dinner that night had been somewhat uneventful, the only problem being someone attempting to give Naruto the cold shoulder while serving the group.

That was quickly fixed however with Anko's imaginative persuasion, and several well-placed kunai, it ended before it could get out of hand. After that, everything was relatively normal.

The truly interesting things happened after they were done with dinner, and were about to head home for the night. It was during this time Shikamaru decided to ask what his mother forced him to ask. It was for that reason that he pulled Naruto aside, while excusing them both from the remaining team members.

"Hey Naruto, I really don't know why I'm doing this, other then to keep my mom from killing me. The thing is she wanted to meet you, so she can get to know my team members better. She figured that meeting you one at a time would be the best way to get to know you, so she wants me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow night. I mean that is if you want to come and all, I'd understand if you didn't want to be around my homicidal mother…"

Naruto just looked at Shikamaru, who had his head down, almost as if he was embarrassed to be asking this question. Honestly, from what he had heard about Shikamaru's mom, he could hardly blame him. However, how bad could a mom really be? Maybe Shikamaru blew things out of proportion when he talked about her, after all Sakura seemed to rank the highest in the 'troublesome' category as far as Naruto was concerned.

So smiling, he decided to answer his lazy friend, even though he never noticed Anko listening in from above them.

"Why wouldn't I accept? I mean it's not everyday that I can get a great home cooked meal, and not just ramen or dango. I'd be happy to come over tomorrow; I always wanted to meet your parents, since I've only seen them briefly at the Academy. So uh, what time do you want to meet, and what should I wear?"

Shikamaru could only groan, as he had hoped the other boy would turn down the offer. Oh how he wished that Naruto would actually quit being this new person, who was smart, and seemed to draw older females to him like flies to honey. That is until they got close enough to see his face, then they would turn away with a look of disgust on their face for some odd reason.

Regardless, he accepted the invitation, so it would only be right to give him the details.

"Well, I guess there is no helping it. We can meet at our normal morning meeting spot, and walk to my house. Meet me there around five, you don't have to dress up too much; just treat it like one of our days off. I have to warn you though Naruto, my dad doesn't like you for some reason, he doesn't show it much any more now that we are on the same team, but back in the Academy he was vocal about it," answered Shikamaru, sounding ashamed during the last sentence.

Naruto could only nod, as he DID remember seeing Nara Shikaku on more then one occasion, and it always ended up with him gaining a few new lumps on his head. Still though, if he was invited over, that had to mean someone in the Nara house didn't see him as a waste of space.

"I know, I've run into him a few times before, but I guess if your mom is inviting me over she must see some good in me, right," asked Naruto as he flashed one of his false smiles to Shikamaru.

"Yeah Naruto, she was the one who asked me to invite you over. Even though she has never meet you, she seems to have a great deal of respect for you, though I don't know why she would respect someone as annoying as you used to be," joked Shikamaru, finally loosening up some.

"Cool, I'll try to be on my best behavior tomorrow, and how knows, maybe I'll bring my manners with me."

After that, and a quick good bye, the boys parted ways, with Shikamaru heading home, and Naruto meeting up with Anko and Hinata again.

Since becoming friends with each other, Naruto had made it his job to walk Hinata home at night, and sometimes Anko would join them. However, she only did it just to tease the two.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting, Shikamaru wanted to see if I could come over for dinner tomorrow, and I couldn't help but accept. I guess that means no late night training for us tomorrow, eh Hinata-chan?"

Hinata could see the pain, and hear the pain evident in his voice. Something about the event tomorrow didn't sit right with Naruto, but she would have to trust him for now.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun; I think father wanted to train me tomorrow after our mission and training. I hope you enjoy yourself, and stay on your best behavior. Remember your manners that Sensei and I taught you," chided Hinata as she waved a disapproving finger at Naruto.

Ever since Anko had been with the group, Hinata had started to become a little more open around the two. Even with Shikamaru around, she would be more outspoken; the only problem was she still had a habit of clamming up and reverting to her old self around others.

It only served to remind Naruto that as much as things change, they would always be the same.

"Yeah yeah, you just remember to kick your old man's ass, and be sure to let him know it was from me when you do! Then do the same to that bratty sister, and stuck up cousin, that is unless you want me too," trailed off Naruto, causing the girl to revert to her old self.

With Hinata knowing so much about him, he felt it important to know more about her so that he could be a better friend. She was reluctant to say much about her family, but he was able to give things from Anko about her situation, and he was not pleased one bit. So he tried to do his best to build her confidence up since he heard of the situation, and with his sister's help, it seemed to be working.

"Naruto-kun, please don't be like that… You may not like it, but there are ways to get someone's respect with out beating their heads in. I could never do that to my family, and you know that," was the soft-spoken girl's reply.

"Well, since we are getting all moody right now, I want to add something to the pot," claimed Anko, as she stopped, causing the young Genin to stop with her.

"Naruto, I know it's only been a week since you've been on the team with Shikamaru, but I think it is time you tell him," declared Anko, as her dark eyes settled on Naruto's bright eyes.

Naruto's face darkened and his eyes shifted from Anko down to a suddenly very interesting spot on the road. Both of his companions knew what he was thinking.

"Already, I mean we've only started to break the barrier that I made in the Academy, talking about this might turn it into a solid brick wall, and send Shikamaru yelling to the streets. Can't we wait a little longer to tell him?" begged the young blonde verbally, and physically.

Hinata and Anko looked on, both of their hearts melting for the boy.

If it were up to Hinata, they would wait, as she could only guess how hard it would be to tell this secret to Shikamaru now. How could you explain something that you were not even sure of? He was also still in the process of moving his things to the residence of his father and mother, and still had things to learn about his Kekkei Genkai.

Anko was a different matter though; she knew what secrets among teammates could do. They could rip a team apart, and cause distrust, or even hatred to reign supreme. Dark secrets and lies like the ones around the Kyubi could change a person's entire perspective on the world, and more importantly the village they live in. Nevertheless, no matter how she felt, she knew it had to be done.

"I'm not saying tell him about your family yet, I would personally keep that to yourself, and to those you trust the most. I'm only talking about the other issue, he is going to be sleeping, eating, breathing, training, fighting, and bleeding along side of you. I think it is only right that he knows what he will be getting himself into. Wouldn't you want to know something like this from your teammate, should the roles be reversed?

"Then there is the fact that I don't think you are giving him the credit he deserves. Shikamaru is a smart boy, even if he is too lazy for his own good. His mother is also a great woman, and a close friend of mine. I think Shikamaru would be one of the few kids your age that wouldn't react negatively to the news. He would try to think things through logically, and use that brain he is so proud of to come up with the fact that YOU are not IT."

"Naruto-kun, if anyone else will accept you for who you are, Shikamaru will. He is too smart to let his feelings get the better of him in a situation like this. I think given time he might even figure it out himself, with the way the villagers glare at you when we walk through the village," added Hinata in hopes of supporting Anko.

Naruto just stood there, letting his internal war take place. If he did what was asked of him by Anko, he could ruin a friendship before it had a chance to take off. Not only that, but in doing so he would lose any chance of being friends with Ino and Choji, who both seemed to be great people once you got to know them a little better.

Choji was a loyal person, and would likely do anything for his friends. He may be short tempered when it came to his weight, but living a life where you were picked on because of that could do that to a person. With Shikamaru being one of his first friends, and most trusted friends, what ever Shikamaru felt towards Naruto would likely be mimicked by Choji when the secret was out.

Ino was more independent, but she was still a loyal friend of Shikamaru's; because of the bond the Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Nara families possessed. So even while she seemed to be a little nicer, maybe close to the border of flirting with Naruto, she might still be influenced by what ever happened with the other two. It could very well be possible that she would be able to make up her own choice in the matter, but it was not something he would want to put too much faith in.

Shikamaru was smart though, and hardly did things, or felt ways without a reason to. So would it be too much to believe that he could see Naruto as just a human, burdened with such a weight? If he was left alone, and given enough clues; he could probably find out the truth of twelve years ago, but would that make things any better. Would Shikamaru hold it against him, claiming that Naruto did not trust his friend enough to tell him?

'_There are too many 'what ifs', and not enough definitive answers. The only thing I know for sure is that Shikamaru is a smart person, who doesn't let feelings get in the way of judgment, at least majority of the time. He has never been like the other kids, despite his dad hating my guts. His mom seems to be either indifferent, or at least knows the difference between the demon and me.'_

With those thoughts, Naruto slowly nodded his head.

"I guess you guys are right, and it would probably be best that he heard it from me and not from his dad, or find out by himself or during a mission. I'll tell him tomorrow, and hope for the best," and with those words, he started walking once again, this time in silence as the group stayed to themselves, thinking of the events to occur in the day to come.

The next day Naruto was off during the morning practice, and the reason was obvious to the female members of the team. Despite knowing the cause for the problem, they could do little. The only thing they would be able to do is reassure him everything would turn out okay in the end.

Thankfully, for everyone, the training ended early that day, around three. They didn't do any missions, since Anko wanted to drill them on weapons that day. If they could read her mind though, they would have known she wanted them to take it easy for the events later that night.

After training had ended, Naruto walked Hinata home, which was a silent affair. The silence between the two was only broken when they arrived at the entrance to the Hyuga grounds, and even then it was by Hinata.

"Naruto-kun, I know you are still worried about tonight, but you need to have faith in Shikamaru. I'm sure he will understand everything, and not react the way you keep thinking he will. Even if he does, you still have Anko-sensei, Sandaime-sama, Iruka-sensei, and me. I'm sure over time, and once he gets to know you more he would probably regret any negative reaction he has to the news," came from the dark haired girl, seemingly hypnotizing Naruto with her voice.

Naruto nodded his head to her, and quickly said his good byes as he jumped off to clean up for the dinner that night, and what he thought would be the most difficult thing in the world.

'_Naruto-kun, just have faith in us, not everyone is cold hearted. Some people will understand you, and see you for who you are, and not what you hold.'_ thought Hinata as she watched his shape vanish over the rooftops.

* * *

Naruto arrived at Anko's favorite dango shop around four thirty, and decided to wait for his friend to show up. Since he wanted to make a good impression on Shikamaru's parents, he had decided to dress up in clothes that were suited for the occasion, and yet not too formal. 

He was wearing a dark blue long sleeved shirt, which had a red fabric on the inside of the shirt. It was high collared, and loose at the same time. Underneath that, he wore a dark green shirt, that could only be seen when a person was up close, and the front of his top shirt was left opened. Beneath those, he wore what quickly became his trademark undershirt, and private training shirt, a sleeveless mesh black shirt, which was skintight.

His pants were also a dark blue, and went down to his ankles, where the cuffs were tapped down. The legs billowed slightly, and made the pants look baggier then they actually were. There were a pair of utility pockets midway down the thighs, and a normal set of pockets for his hands to rest comfortably in while he leaned against the wall of the dango shop.

Instead of sandals, he now wore what he had also become very accustomed to; split toe tabi boots. They were comfortable to him, and allowed him a great deal of support and movement whenever he needed it. It was because of that he worked it into his regular clothing.

Over the course of his shopping, he had found several things he learned to like, such as the tabi boots, fish net shirts and the dark green and ask gray colors. The fact that they could be worn in training, missions, or every day occasions also had something to do with it.

While he would normally never go without them, Naruto decided that today he would leave his weapon holster at home. Make no mistake though, he was far from defenseless; one thing Anko had made sure to drill into him after her confession was that he should always keep several hidden weapons on his body. She had even gone as far as showing him a shop that sold Shinobi sandals with switchblades built into the front and heel of them. The shop soon became his favorite place for hidden weapons, and was where he bought the weapon for the disguise Anko wanted him to wear on their first high-ranking mission.

Tonight he also decided to go without his hitaiate, and let his hair fall naturally over his forehead. It of course caused many to stare at him, but those who now saw him enough learned to get over the look of the boy, and started to treat him how they normally would; with glares, and harsh words when they thought he wasn't looking.

Naruto was shaken from his reflection when Shikamaru came walking up to him, hands in his pockets, and head in the clouds.

"Well, lets get going, we still have about an hour till dinner, but my mom wanted to talk to you before my dad got home from herding the deer. So lets hurry, or she is going to hit me with her new cast iron rolling pin…"

Sparing Naruto a small smile, Shikamaru started to lead the way to his humble home on the outskirts of Konoha. Around the house was a small garden of vegetables, which seemed to be maintained with a loving hand. No weeds, or unneeded plant could be seen any where inside of the garden.

From the front of the house, small corrals and what looked like a stable could be seen. While neither of those was large enough for horses, they could easily handle the deer that the Nara family helped to raise. Next to the stable a small workshop could also been seen, likely there for working on the numerous medicines created from the antlers of the deer.

The house itself was simple, and modest. It was a two story home, and made entirely of wood. The wood used could easily be from the very clearing that it now situated. From the design, and size of the house, one could easily guess it had been expanded upon, or rebuilt numerous times; what gave it away were the miss-matched types of wood used in building the small abode. Naruto took in the place quickly, and then hurried after Shikamaru, who was waiting at the front door.

"Just to let you know Naruto, my mom and Sensei seem to be good friends, so don't be surprised if she knows some things about you already. Just try not to make her mad or anything, and we should be safe," warned Shikamaru as he opened the door to the warm home.

Naruto followed his host in, took off his sandals at the entrance, and stored them in a small closet. From there he followed Shikamaru into the house, and was lead to a small dining room. As they walked in, down the halls, and through the small rooms, Naruto could smell the meal that was being prepared in the kitchen.

"Wait here, I'll let my mom know you're here. She shouldn't be too hard to find, since she is normally in the kitchen at this time of day. While I'm there, would you like any tea or something?"

Naruto couldn't help but grin at the way Shikamaru was acting now. He no longer resembled the lazy bum; instead, he looked like a person ready to complete a task at a moments notice.

'_Is he that afraid of making his mom mad? I wonder if my mom was ever like that…'_ pondered Naruto as his grin turned into a gentle smile.

"Yeah, some tea might be nice Shikamaru, thanks," was Naruto's distant reply, as he continued to ponder what it would be like to have a mother always looking out for you.

Shikamaru only nodded, and left with a small worried look on his face; wondering what would cause the sudden mood change in the other Genin. He continued to mull this over in his head as he walked into the kitchen, and nearly knocked his mother over.

"Shika, watch where you are going, I almost dropped these pies I made for dinner." shouted the woman, as she placed the pies on the windowsill to cool.

"Sorry mom I was caught up thinking about some things" mumbled the boy.

"Still, you should know better, now I take it Naruto is here now. Did you two want some tea while we talk; I have some on the stove now. Let me grab a few cups, and the tray and I'll meet you in the dinning room."

Nodding, the young Nara left the kitchen, and returned to the small dining room used for entertaining guests. When he entered the room, he noticed Naruto still had the far off look in his eyes, and so he sat down with out saying a word to his friend.

Try as he might, Shikamaru still couldn't get used to this new Naruto, even though it had been a week already. This new Naruto seemed to shift moods faster then the tides, and was just about as hard to read as the stars. To a person who prided himself on being able to read people, it unnerved him and annoyed him to no end.

It felt like every day he saw Naruto, a new side of him was revealed, and some new ability would pop up to throw his perspective of Naruto off again. With all the changes, his head was seriously starting to hurt.

It was during these thoughts that his mother walked into the room with a tray of tea, and cookies. She had just turned to greet Naruto, and nearly dropped the tray when she saw him.

'_It looks like Shika was right; he truly does look like Yondaime-sama. I didn't believe Anko at first, but seeing him in person like this confirms what she told me. HA, take that Shikaku-kun!'_

She was shaken from her thoughts, as Naruto seemed to appear by her side, and try to take the tray from her. She only quickly collected herself, and let him know everything was fine before setting everything down, and offer drinks to everyone.

"Hello Naruto-kun, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you from Shika-kun," greeted Yoshino with a sweet smile, and a hand holding a saucer and cup of tea.

Naruto politely took the offer saucer, and thanked her after setting it down.

"Thank you Nara-san, it is a pleasure to be here. I don't normally get invited to too many places, so I was surprised to hear Shikamaru invite me over."

"No need to call me Nara-san, it makes me feel old. Please, call me Yoshino, or Yoshino-san; it is the least I could do for someone who helped to get my son moving around more. I can honestly say I was pleased to hear that the teams were not the way that my husband thought they would be. I think one generation of that group was more then enough, they need to experiment, and see how other families work together."

Naruto smiled at the woman, surprised that every word she spoke seemed to be honest and heartfelt. He sensed no deceit in the words, or the manor of speech, if anything she was trying to go beyond polite. It was almost as if she was trying to make up for past deeds, and she may just be doing that because of the actions of her husband.

"Thank you Yoshino-san, I was glad they change it up as well. I do feel sorry for Choji though, I mean being stuck with Sasuke-teme and the crazy fan girl must be annoying. His sensei doesn't even seem like a very good one, but that might change after our stunt last week. I don't think Anko-sensei would mind him joining us for training if he has nothing to do with Team 7 at the time."

This was how the two continued to talk, and sometimes they would pull Shikamaru into the conversation; often talking about mundane events. Some of Naruto's pranks would also pop up from time to time, ranging from wrapping the Hyuga Compound, to painting the Hokage Monument. Each of them causing the group to laugh, and Naruto wasn't afraid to mention some of the things he got away with either.

What truly caused the most laughs, from Shikamaru, is when Naruto described a time when he was being chased down by the Ino-Shika-Cho group for defacing a BBQ restaurant they were visiting.

Naruto had to run for his life, dodging shadows, a giant staff, and a hail of kunai and shuriken. The best part of the chase was when they felt they had Naruto cornered, and were about to move in for the "kill" (not that Shikamaru thought they would actually kill him). It was then that Naruto decided to test out his newest Jutsu.

When he activated the jutsu, he was surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke, taking him out of sight for several second. It was once that smoke cleared that Naruto knew the test had been a success.

Shikaku, Choza, and Inoichi were greeted with the sight of a perfectly tanned female body, with bright blonde hair in pigtails. On the woman's face were the distinct whisker marks, and yet none of the men there could focus on them. The only thing on their minds was the young and extremely nude body in front of them. That was when each of them flew back from a massive fountain of blood erupting from their noses.

Shikamaru found the story of his dad's defeat extremely funny, but he held it in as best as he could. He was happy to have some blackmail material on his father, and who knew when he could use it.

'_Naruto must really be rubbing off on me now'_ thought Shikamaru as he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Yoshino on the other hand was doing her best to hold back the anger she felt towards her soon to be deceased husband.

'_I KNEW he was a pervert! That is the only way something like that would work on a person. If he thinks I'm not enough women for him, then he has another thing coming when he gets home tonight.'_

It was to these laughs that Shikaku walked into the room, and visibly froze when he saw Naruto sitting across from his wife and son. His face went through a range of emotions upon seeing Naruto, surprise, recognition, sadness, anger, and finally rages.

Before he could say anything, his wife grabbed him by the arm, and led him away to the kitchen.

"I saw the look you were giving him Shikaku, and don't you dare do anything to ruin this night for him. I invited Naruto-kun over so he could see what a real family is like, and get a chance to see and feel the love of a mother. It is the least I could do for Yondaime-sama, and the sacrifice he made," declared Yoshino as she threw her husband into the kitchen wall, and knocked several pots and pans down around his head.

"What do you mean you invited him here? He could snap at any second and kill us all, I don't care how much Shikamaru says he has changed; he doesn't know anything about the Kyubi and the death and destruction it can bring down on us!"

"No Shikaku, he would never do that to us. It is in his blood to stay loyal to this village, and protect those within it. He would never do anything intentionally to harm anyone within these walls. I doubt he was born wishing to sacrifice his life to protect us form the Kyubi. Therefore, while Shikamaru does not know of that destruction, he does have a better grasp of WHO Naruto is, and what he would do. That is why I invited him here tonight, because tonight will be a test of Shikamaru's friendship; as well as Naruto's courage and faith in others," exclaimed Yoshino as he picked up a cast iron skillet, and raised it above her head.

"Are there any other questions Shikaku-kun? If there are I'm sure Hokage-sama could answer them when he gets here, after all I would never think of doing this without his blessing," added the female Nara, venom dripping from her words.

"What do you mean? What does Hokage-sama have to do with this," asked a shocked Shikaku while raising his hands to protect his vulnerable skull.

"Oh it is very simple; Naruto is going to tell Shika-kun the truth of twelve years ago. Anko-chan, Hokage-sama, Hiashi-sama, and myself al agreed that Shikamaru should know the truth since they will be on the same team for who knows how long. Since Hinata-chan already knew, it is only right for Shika to know, and to hear it straight form Naruto himself," declared the female once again.

Before he could regain his sense and retort, he was thrown from the kitchen, and had the door slammed in his face. On the other side, he could hear his wife going about the final additions for the meal. He was just about to head to his study, and his private liquor cabinet, when a knock at the door called for his attention.

Mumbling about demons, and annoying wives, he opened the door to see something that made his blood run cold, the Sandaime Hokage, and Mitarashi Anko. The smile on the face of Anko nearly made his skin crawl, but he suppressed the urge.

"Good evening Hokage-sama, Mitarashi-san, it is a pleasure to have you over tonight," greeted Shikaku.

"It is my pleasure Shikaku-kun, I wouldn't miss this night. It is sure to be a turning point of many things to come in the village," greeted the Hokage, as he moved inside at Shikaku's welcoming gesture.

Anko only smiled sweetly to the man, and then followed her nose to the kitchen and Yoshino. She didn't even pay any attention to the glare that followed her back or the laughter of the Hokage when he noticed the action of the two.

After that, Shikaku invited the Hokage into the study for a small pre-dinner drink, and a chance to talk about what was supposed to be happening that night.

In the kitchen, Anko walked in to see Yoshino still fuming over her husband's actions. Currently she was attacking a loaf of bread with deadly precision. So smiling, and grabbing a small piece of beef from a platter, Anko leaned against the wall to watch the older woman.

"I guess he didn't take having Naruto-kun here too well. He seemed to be surprised that Hokage-sama and I showed up on his door step when he was swearing about demons and troublesome women."

Yoshino seemed to stop for a second, and then commenced the butchering a slice of meat, and each cut on the poor meat seemed to lessen her anger. Finally, after finishing slicing the beef, she managed to regain control of herself enough to speak.

"I swear Anko, that man is annoying to no end. To see him disrespecting Kanami-chan's child like that just pisses me off. I admit never treated him how I should have, but I never treated him like majority of the village either. Had I known that Kanami-chan's baby survived that night, I would have been there sooner. I only started to see it when Shika came home the day the teams were selected, and told us how much Naruto looked like Arashi-kun.

"I feel so bad for not seeing it sooner. I knew Kanami was pregnant, and didn't think anything of it when Naruto was shown to us as being the container of the Kyubi. I thought that the baby died at birth with Kanami, and only thought that Arashi picked another child; then gave it the name that Kanami wanted to give her baby if it was a boy. I guess I know now how much of a fool I was. Now that I have heard how much Naruto loves ramen, I can see he truly is Kanami's son."

Anko watched as the woman who was like a big sister to her start to wipe the water from her eyes because the emotions bubbling up inside of her.

"Yeah, I remembered her going through entire stores of instant ramen, and adding fish cakes to them. I never knew she was pregnant at the time, neither did Rin. Now that I look back on it, I'm ashamed I didn't know earlier because of all the signs. The mood swings, the strange foods she would eat, and then the dreamy looks Otou-san would give her at times, and the smiles passed between the two… I missed it as much as you did, and even Rin missed the signs, and she was a Med-nin," comforted Anko. She could guess how the older woman felt, and it was a horrible feeling; knowing they had missed the chance to help raise their best friend's and mother's son. Now all they could do is make sure they were there for him in the future, and that they planed on doing.

"Well enough of this teary eyed nonsense; we have two growing boys out there that are probably hungry. Not to mention I can't wait to see the look on my husband's face when Naruto spills the beans, because I just know Shika is going to ask Naruto why Arashi choose him. Then there are the questions that are bound to pop up about the **Alter**. It is going to be a bash seeing Shikaku's jaw break through the floor," and with those words, she opened the door to the kitchen to yell out.

"Shika-kun, Naruto-kun, would you two please set the table; dinner should be out in just a few minutes. Be sure to set it for six people, alright," shouted the elder woman, and before she closed the door she was greeted with the sound of chairs moving, and feet shuffling as the boys started to do as she asked.

"Come on Naruto, we keep the dishes over here in this cabinet. You get the plates and glasses, and I'll set the silverware and napkins. Try not to break anything, my mom is a real pain about her dishes being broken," advised Shikamaru as they got to work on the table.

With in minutes the duo had the table set, and ready for Yoshino to bring in the dishes of food, with Anko helping her of course. Anko could only smile sweetly at Naruto and Shikamaru as she walked in behind Yoshino carrying serving dishes. She chuckled inside as the two shivered at her smile.

"Sensei, what are you doing here, I thought you were going to get wasted with Kurenai-sensei" asked Naruto, who was now feeling like he had been set up from the start. Once glance at Shikamaru revealed that he was just as surprised as he was, and showing the same signs of distress.

"Oh nothing Otouto, I thought that I would come over and enjoy dinner with all of you. Hokage-sama is here as well, but I think he is mostly here to make sure that those manners we have been trying to teach you have sunk in," greeted Anko, and smiling when he flinched at her calling him brother in "public" like this. She could see the confusion flash across Shikamaru's face as well, but she could enjoy it much as Yoshino elbowed her in the side.

"Anko, why don't you go fetch Hokage-sama and my lazy husband. You two boys need to go wash up before you even think about eating. Scrub those hands nice and hard, I don't want to see any dirt or grime on them, not even under the nails," ordered the Nara woman, causing both boys to jump at the command and move to the restroom to perform the task.

"Man, when you mom wants people to get moving, she knows how to motivate people with just her voice. No wonder you always call women troublesome, I might do the same if I had grown up like that," the latter part was more like a whisper, as Naruto again wondered what having a mother would be like.

Shikamaru watched his friend with a calculating eye, once again trying to figure out what the hidden meaning was behind the words that were little more then a whisper. Shaking his head, and clearing his thoughts, he washed up and led the way towards the dining room once again.

When the two boys walked into the room, they were greeted with the smiling Hokage's face, and the scowling one of Shikaku. Both boys took their seats, Shikamaru next to his mother, who was at the head of the table, and just happened to be right next to the seat that was set aside for Naruto. Sitting to Shikamaru's right was the Hokage, who sat across from Anko, and next to Shikaku, who was situated at the end of the table.

Once everyone was seated, dinner started. Small talk was exchanged, and discussion of training methods sprung up, with Shikaku taking an interest in the methods used by Anko. Over all most of those not already educated about her methods were surprised, and seemed to agree with them fully.

Majority of the talking was done by Anko, Yoshino, with Naruto and Shikamaru adding when they needed to. Sarutobi would also add his two cents in when they discussed jutsus, and the ways to use them effectively in battle. Shikaku would talk, but it would never be in the same topic as Anko or Naruto, which was noticed by Shikamaru.

It was as dinner was nearly finished that Anko elbowed Naruto in the side, hoping to get him to start what they were all there for.

Naruto turned to look her in the eyes, and knew there was no way he could get out of it. Therefore, with a great sigh, he nodded, and turned to look at Shikamaru.

"Hey, uh Shikamaru, I was wondering… I mean uh, just um what do you know about the Kyubi attack twelve years ago?" was Naruto attempt to start up the conversation.

Shikamaru was confused about the sudden change in topic, but thought nothing of it at first; deciding to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his mind.

"Well, the Kyubi suddenly attacked Konoha twelve years ago, reasons unknown, and will probably stay that way till the end of time. When he attacked the village's Shinobi and Kunoichi fought a stalling battle to prevent the monster fox from getting too close to Konoha. By doing this, many lives were lost, and the land was destroyed. However, it also served to stall for the Yondaime Hokage to come up with a way to defeat and kill the Kyubi.

"The Shinobi ended up fighting fiercely with the beast, and held it back for several days before the Yondaime Hokage arrived on the 7th night of the battle with Kyubi. He came on top of the Toad Boss' head, and managed to kill the Kyubi at the cost of his life," summed up Shikamaru as he watched his friend. He could see the sadness suddenly come across the face of Naruto, as if something about the story greatly affected him.

"You are right on most of that Shikamaru, but the rest of it is a complete lie. What do you know about the Biju, and more importantly the Kyubi?" asked Naruto, his voice just above a whisper. To the side Yoshino gently laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder to comfort him, which was mimicked by Anko on his other side.

Shikamaru sat there to think about what he knew, which was surprisingly very little. Who would think that the village would lie about something this important? With a monster a powerful as the Kyubi, wouldn't they want everyone to know the truth of that day?

Then it hit him.

'_The Kyubi is supposed to be the greatest of all demons. It was rumored to be able to create tsunamis with a single flip of its tail, and level mountains with another. So how could the Yondaime defeat it, he was a great Shinobi, but there is no way he could be on the same level as the lord of all demons.'_ thought Shikamaru, as he started to see what was a lie, and what was the truth of that day. He could see what the lie was, but one thing eluded him. Why lie? People normally lied to hide or protect something, so that must be why everyone was told this, but why.

"I honestly don't know much about demons, Biju, or the Kyubi. What I do know is that the Kyubi was the lord of all demons, and there for extremely powerful. There shouldn't be any way for the Yondaime to be able to kill such a creature" summed up Shikamaru as he started to put his brain into overdrive.

"Yep, there is no way a mortal could ever hope to defeat Kyubi by himself. A human would have to have some form of help from a supernatural being to hope to last more then a few minutes in a frontal assault on the demon. Even then, he could not kill a Biju, since majority of their bodies are constructed from their chakra, or Youki. No mortal weapon could ever piece the chakra body, so you can see the problem the Yondaime would have faced. So you obviously know the lie now, but what did it cover up? It covered up what the Yondaime truly did that night from our generation, the truth about his actions."

"What do you mean the truth about them Naruto, and why would they need to hide something like that?" asked a now worried and confused Shikamaru.

"Since a Biju's is nearly made up of nothing but the demon version of Chakra, then there is still one thing it was susceptible to," spoke Naruto solemnly.

Shikamaru sat there trying to think of what could possibly stop a demon on the level of the Kyubi, and any other Biju. No matter what he thought of though, he could never figure out what Naruto was hinting at.

"I don't blame you for not knowing the answer, I wouldn't have guessed it if I didn't practice these techniques. You see chakra in no matter what form it is always vulnerable to a certain set of techniques or jutsus. So being a great demon like a Biju makes no difference when you can come up with a strong enough **Fuin Jutsu** (Sealing Techniques)." lectured Naruto now, his earlier nervous mind set forgotten.

Shikamaru was stunned that he had forgotten those, but it is understandable, as they are not taught in the academy. From the little that he knew of the techniques, they could be used for a wide range of things. All sorts of things could be sealed into scroll, and if something was made of just pure chakra, and then it could surely be sealed into such items. The possibilities were endless, as the whole world offered up a possibility to hold such things inside of them.

"The only problem is that as the amount of Chakra increases, the item has to change. Some Biju, such as the Ichibi no Shukaku (One-tailed Shukaku) could be sealed in an every day item, like a teakettle for example. Others could be sealed into stones, trees, hell even mountains could be used, or wild animals. The only problem is when you get up to the five-tailed Biju and up. They contain too much power to be able to be sealed in such items. That is why only one thing that could be used as a container for them. This thing would have to be able to adapt and grow with the Biju."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto once again, this time with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was something major and life changing about to happen, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

'_Something that could contain the immense power, and yet still be able to grow to accommodate the power. Trees, rocks, and wild animals could never hold such power, and could easily be destroyed and release the Biju. That only leaves…'_ he stopped himself as he thought of the implications. Once he thought of that, his mind continued to work, and started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The glares that the villagers gave Naruto as he walked by. The way people would curse him, and call him a demon spawn, or demon child. Why so many people seemed to hate him, and yet not all of them had been the victim of his pranks. Why some of the instructors at the Academy would be extra hard on Naruto. Why Naruto came beat up to class several times before, often with broken bones.

'_He couldn't be implying what I think he is…'_

"I can guess by the look on your face that you figured it out Shikamaru. Just in case, let me help fill in some blanks. The Kyubi was defeated on October the 10th when the Yondaime Hokage confronted it, and performed a self-sacrificing Fuin Jutsu called the Shiki Fujin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal). This technique would allow him to pull the Kyubi's soul and essence into his own body by calling upon the _Shinigami_ (Death God). The only problem was that even this would not contain the Kyubi fully.

"It is because of that he used a combination of **Fuin Jutsu** to seal away the Kyubi. I won't bore you with the names of the techniques, but to let you know the main points. The seals he used after the **Shiki Fujin** would allow him to seal the Soul and essence into a living being, not just any being, but a new born baby who was only hours old and fresh out of the womb." finished Naruto with his head down now, waiting to hear what Shikamaru would have to say.

Shikamaru for his part just sat there, thinking over everything he knew, and then started to throw things out the window of his mind. So many things had just changed for him, and he was having trouble wrapping his mind around them. Slowly, he started to piece together all of the new found information he had just been given, and start to draw his conclusions.

'_Naruto was born on the 10th, I think. So it must have been him that was used, but why just pick a child from the crib. Why not pick someone who would have parents there for them, and help them grow up away from the hate the village was sure to send at the child. For a great leader like Yondaime to do something like that would be traitorous, and unbefitting someone in the office of Hokage, unless he had no other choice…'_

"Well it seems like you pieced everything together again, so time to polish it up… You would probably find this out yourself, because I know you would want to look more into this. I honestly didn't want to talk about it at first, but it might be best if I did," here Naruto paused as he looked at Anko, Sarutobi, and finally settled on Yoshino, who seemed to be giving him an encouraging smile.

"The Yondaime couldn't just pick any child, because what kind of leader would he be if he used someone else's child. It was because of that he used his own son to act as the container for the Kyubi. His wife had died during childbirth, since she was stressed out and in poor health after being kidnapped days earlier. It was a miracle that the baby was even born, let alone healthy enough to survive the sealing."

Shikaku was now shocked at the words he had just heard from the boy. He knew of course of the demon being sealed into Naruto, but not the latter part of the speech. Now that he thought about it, he suddenly realized how stupid he was.

'_Yoshino had said that Kanami was pregnant, but the child died at birth with her. Kami, why didn't I notice this sooner, she even wanted to name the baby after a fishcake for crying out loud. Who would give that name to a baby, even if he were just an orphan? I know I have a lot to make up for now, and some crow pie to eat later.'_

Shikaku looked across the table to his wife, who was smiling at him, and nodding her head. She was confirming what he had just thought, and seemed to be amused by his reaction. Looking at Naruto again, he could see so much of the parents in the boy, and couldn't help but wonder how he had missed them before.

Shikamaru was having similar thoughts, except his was more frantic as puzzle pieces flew together in his mind, and started to paint an entirely new picture of Naruto. No longer was Naruto the troublemaker who only wanted to be laughed at. He now saw the pain that was always with Naruto, from the laughs the students would give him, and from the hate of the village. Yet he could hardly figure out why a village would hate the savior of the village, the only thing standing between them and the Kyubi. It was when he thought about the Kyubi again that the rest of Naruto's statement hit him head on.

'_Naruto said that the Yondaime would never use someone else's child, at least not when he had his own that could be used… Kami-sama then that means that…'_

He looked at Naruto once again, his eyes as wide as the diner plates. His mouth opened and closed with no sound coming from them, then slowly his eyes started to close, and darkness started to consume him. The information overload and life changing news finally short circuited his brain, and did the only thing it could, shut down.

Everyone watched as Shikamaru suddenly fell to the floor, passed out with a dazed and confused look on his face. Naruto looked to Anko, and she looked to him, neither of them worried about his reaction. Both shared one thing at that moment, and it could be seen in the faces of the Hokage, Yoshino and Shikaku.

Almost simultaneously, all of them started to laugh at the way Shikamaru took the news, none of them expecting him to pass out like that in such a situation.

* * *

**Present**

"Hey Naruto, time to wake up for your shift," cut in the voice of Shikamaru, who was climbing through the tent opening, water dripping from his hair.

Naruto cursed himself for not getting any sleep, and actually being stuck in his memories the entire time. Looking at Shikamaru again, he took in the boy's appearance. Water was running down his face, and obviously down his back. His clothes looked to be soaked through, and the pitter-patter of rain falling on the tent only confirmed Naruto's guess on to what caused it.

"How long has it been raining," asked Naruto as he started to pull on his weapons and tabi boots.

"Since the end of Hinata's shift, it only started pouring right before mine ended. Looks like it might be a good thing you decided to wear that spandex jumpsuit after all. Just keep an eye out, and don't fall asleep. Finally, don't forget to wake Sensei up at first light." reminded Shikamaru as he curled up into his warm blanket, hoping to fight off the chill of the rain.

Sighing, Naruto pulled his hitaiate over his head and covered his hair. Finally dressed and armed, he stepped out into the rain, and took on the sentry position in a tree around the perimeter.

'_I get to sit through this for the next couple of hours, boy am I one lucky sob.'_ thought Naruto as he settled in for the night.

After what seemed like days for Naruto, the first sign of the sun started to peek over the horizon, signaling the need to wake up the others. Jumping down, and splashing a small amount of water around, he walked over to the tent of Anko and Hinata.

"Sensei, its morning and time to wake up." called out Naruto, hoping it would be enough to wake them.

Thankfully, for him Anko was a light sleeper, and heard his words.

"Thanks Naruto-kun, what is the weather like right now, it sounds like it's been raining for awhile." answered Anko as she started to wake her tent mate up.

"Yeah, Shikamaru said he started right before Hinata-chan's shift ended, and it started pouring right when mine started. It looks like it will be doing this for the next few days though, so it might be hard to find a ferry to Wave."

"Nah, if they stopped every time it rained they would have been ruined a long time ago. Go wake Shikamaru up, and then get changed. I want to be out of here before the sun fully rises."

"Yes Nee-chan, I'm going to need help with the make-up though, since I doubt Shikamaru knows how to put it on." spat Naruto as he thought of having to wear the offending object.

'_Why can't I just _**Henge**_ to hide my whiskers? It would be a lot easier then putting make up on, but I guess it might be better in the end, unfortunately.'_

"Alright, just meet up with Hinata after we get dressed," responded Anko, knowing how much he hated the idea of wearing makeup. She couldn't blame him, she never wore the stuff either, but she would never dispute its usefulness in hiding marks.

Sighing at Naruto's stubbornness, she went about waking Hinata and getting into her own disguise.

Anko's disguise was that of a simple villager, who was traveling and selling her wares. Traveling with her was her brother (Shikamaru), a lecherous monk (Naruto), and a shrine maiden (Hinata), all in order to make sure she was safe in her travels.

The disguises and story had all been thought out by the group, except Naruto, within the second week of them being together. The reason behind this was that it was easier to travel in disguises like these, and gather information then it would be for them in any other method. None of them would be performing a **Henge**, as a skill Shinobi could easily see through them.

There were some problems with the disguises of course, such as Naruto's whisper marks, and Hinata's eyes, but they were easily taken care of. For Naruto it was as simple as using a small amount of makeup, and making sure he acted like the people he hated, perverts. For Hinata they only needed special lenses for her to wear, which Anko was some how able to get a hold of, and seemed to have them in a ready supply. The lenses would give Hinata's normally pupil eyes pupils, and hide her lineage. The acting for a shrine maiden would be easy enough for Hinata as well, so there was little trouble with that portion.

Sighing, Anko stepped out of the tent in her villager's disguise, which mostly consisted of simple brown pants and nondescript green shirt. Her hair was down instead of up, and she held a large pack that would hold her 'wares'.

None of these disguises would be possible with out Naruto's ability to seal items into scrolls, which proved invaluable for this mission. It also helped to hide all traces of their Shinobi equipment, as no one would ever suspect a monk carrying dangerous scrolls.

Smiling, she looked at Hinata as she stepped out of the tent in her maiden clothes; easily pulling off the disguise. She wore a simple red hakama, and white blouse, both of them hiding her body underneath the clothes, as well as hiding several hidden pockets filled with senbon needles.

Shikamaru came out of the boys' tent in similar clothing to Anko's, giving both of them the appearance of having little money. The colors were nearly the same as Anko's, which only helped to push the illusion they were giving off.

Naruto finally stepped out of the tent dress in a set of purple and black robes that went down to his ankles. The sleeves would billow out every time the wind blew through the small clearing, and the bottom would form against his legs. On his right hand, he wore a set of beads, and a small purple bracer; that had a piece of fabric that would cover up his palm.

He held a small wooden staff that was as tall as he was, and was colored gold. The staff head of the staff had a small golden charm on top. The charm was shaped like a circle, with small spheres running up the middle of it. On each side of the center shaft were several small golden rings that would chime each time the staff moved. The out portion of the circle was sharpened so that it could be used as an axe, with the tip sharpened to be used as a spear. Overall, it looked very much like a Shakujo, or Holy Staff.

The final piece of his costume resided in his left hand, a straw hat with a single bell attached to the front of it. Naruto was slowly brining it to the top of his head, hoping to fend off the offending morning rain as best as he could with it. Once it was atop of his head, he walked over to the girls, and frowned as he looked at Anko.

"I guess its time for my makeup, I still hate you for making me do this Nee-chan, but that's alright, I'll have my payback soon enough." started Naruto, and ending with one of Anko's evil smiles.

Repressing a chill that ran down her spine, Anko handed Hinata the make up to use on Naruto, all in hopes of covering up his 'birth marks'. She quickly pulled on her own hat, as did Shikamaru in hopes of some protection from the rain.

Minutes later Naruto and Hinata walked up and joined them, with Naruto quickly sealing away the tents, and nodding to Anko.

"Great, now remember your roles, my name isn't Anko for now, call me Ayame. Shikamaru is now Ginta, Hinata will be going by her same her, as it does fit a Shrine Maiden. Naruto you are going by the name Kaos, and remember each of us will only respond to those names, and nothing else until I say we can drop the disguise." finished Anko before she started to lead the way throw the woods and towards a near by port town.

The group walked along in relative silence, each of them wishing to be out of the rain, and in dry clothes and a warm bed. Despite this, each of them was also paying close attention to their surroundings.

Finally, after several hours, around one in the afternoon, and with the rain finally clearing up, the group made it to the port town. Now all they had to do was wait for a ferry to cross over to one of the many islands that made up the Wave Country. They had missed the morning ferry, and the only other one from this city would be later that night. It was because of this that they decided to try to gather some information, and make people believe they were who they were pretending to be.

While there they kept up their disguises, and either sold their 'wares', or performed small blessings upon objects and people, they set about asking the people about the Wave Country. Naruto, much to his dismay (and Hinata's) would try to flirt with many of the local girls, often getting a slap in the face, or some that would be more then eager to help him with his problems. It was only thanks to Anko and Hinata's glares that many of the women quickly backed away from the 'cute blonde monk'.

While they were at the dock, they heard rumors of a fight between ninjas having occurred earlier that day. No one there knew what the outcome was; only that Tazuna had made it home safely, which seemed to make everyone happy.

This news was good for Team 10, but also distressing, as they were not sure if all of the members made it through safely. None of the people they talked to were able to confirm what happened, and who, if anyone had died.

So with that effectively a dead end, they asked more about Tazuna, the reason for his importance, trying to act the outsider, and concerned monk/maiden. Many would only whisper of his importance, and refer to him as the savior of the Wave Country, but only if he could build his bridge.

Others they talked to would speak of the evils of Gatoh, and his men. Describing how they butchered the Hero of Wave, Kaiza.

Kaiza was a brave man who saved the small village capital of Wave from many natural Disasters, such as floods, and many harsh storms from the seas. He was also known as a great fisherman, and helped to give the people of the country someone to believe in, and push for a dream. He was the father, not biological, of a boy named Inari, and the husband to Tsunami, who was Tazuna's only daughter. Despite all of this, no one knew where he hailed from, only that he was a fisherman seeking a new life.

His life sadly ended after spending two years with the happy family. Gatoh came to Wave, and started to take over the fishing, and shipping industry by force; meaning he used blackmail, threats, and death to gain control. The only one who never backed down from Gatoh was Kaiza, and that is what ended up costing him his life.

Kaiza had returned home one day from fishing, only to be jumped by Gatoh's men before he could get home. He was then tied up and purposively beaten in one of Gatoh's many warehouses. There it was rumored they savagely broke his arms, and legs, and only left him clinging onto life. When they were done they brought him into the town square to finish the job off. Try as they might no one could save if, even those few who were brave enough to try. Many ended up dead form their attempts, or severely injured. In the end, every one had to watch as Kaiza was killed in front of the entire village.

Everyone was affected, and many lost hope in ever being free of Gatoh, but the one most affected by this was Inari. The people they talked to said the boy no longer believed in Heroes, and would only leave his house or room when asked to by his mother or grandfather. That was why Tazuna was building the bridge, in hopes to bring Hope back to the country, and let its inhabitants dream again. Only when the bridge was built, would they have a chance of escaping form Gatoh's rule.

Naruto clenched his teeth as he heard the story, and only refrained from his usual remarks because of Hinata's hand on his shoulder.

"I see. It seems that the people of this country could use my blessings more then anyone else I have ever come across. It seems we have no other choice but to head to the Country of Waves Lady Hinata. Perhaps we can ignite their flames of passion once again, and bring light to their world," Naruto growled out Naruto, as the person finished the tale of Kaiza. His hands were clenched around his staff, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

Hinata only nodded to him, as she helped him up and they left to the docks, and to rendezvous with the rest of the team. Along the way, they were stopped by wives, husbands, and children, wishing to receive blessings, or to receive scrolls of protection, wealth, health, or luck. Many of the men and children would compliment Hinata on her beauty, causing the Maiden to blush. Women would do the same with Naruto, which he would have to flirt in return.

Wading through the crowd, they finally arrived at the dock and meet up with their traveling partners.

"Ayame, Ginta, it seems that my services are needed in the Country of Waves. They seemed to be suppressed by an evil man known as Gatoh. I will be traveling there with Lady Hinata to see what we can do for them. I would not force you to come with us, as I am not sure I could ever assure your safety in that land," greeted Naruto, trying to sound the part of a monk.

"Kaos-sama, if you say it must be done, then I understand. My brother and I would be honored to accompany you into the Wave Country. We had planned to travel there originally as well, in hopes of starting a new life. If things are as bad as you claim, then they could use every breath of fresh air they can get," welcomed Anko, as she smiled at the two holy people.

From there they lapsed into silence, as they awaited the boat to arrive. While waiting they spoke in hushed tones about the upcoming journey. In all honesty, they were just sharing the information they gathered about the country, and its occupants.

Finally, the boat arrived, and they quickly boarded, eager to get to the small country and check up on the other team. Once board, and settled in, it did not take them long to cross the small channel on the boat, and they were in the Country of Waves borders with in an hour of boarding. Once there, they started on gathering information once again, this time hoping to hear more about the battle, and find out where Tazuna resided.

While the citizens were wary of Anko and Shikamaru, they were more then open with Hinata and Naruto. Many did not know about the results of the battle, only that Tazuna made it away safely, and was currently at home with the Ninjas he hired.

When asked if they knew were Gatoh was hiding, few would say anything, and only the few brave ones would speak of him. Some spoke of him having a compound not far from the village, inside resided Gatoh and a small army. Many of those who worked for him were mercenaries, and each of them ruthless. They would sometimes come into town, and do, as they wished, with no one able to stop the small-armed force. They would take the women to the compound, and they would never be seen again until days later. By then they would only be in the barest of clothes, and bruised and beaten. Many of the women taken there were lucky to come away with just that. Some were unfortunate enough to become pregnant from the men inside, others would never be heard from again.

All of this was side in darkened rooms, each of the people speaking afraid that Gatoh may hear what they say. These tales only caused Narutos blood to boil once again, actually making him eager to kill this man. It gave him the same feeling he got whenever he thought about his mother, and the Iwa ANBU that kidnapped her. He would stop at nothing to make sure they would pay for what they did.

"Thank you very much for this news. If there was ever any doubt that I should be here, you have caused it to float away. I will see what I can do to ease the pain you and your village have suffered. May the gods up high smile down upon you."

With those words, Naruto left the small shed he was in, and took the hand of Hinata and walked to the center of the town, taking in the sights of the ruined people. His eyes blazing with righteous fury, as he saw the orphans running down the streets, and grown men begging for food, work or water. Not only did men beg, but children did as well, many following behind Hinata and Naruto. Smiling to Hinata, he led her and the group of children to a small run down park, and sat under a tree. Once down he motioned for the children to do the same.

Many of the children that followed were young, but with the young ones were those slightly older then the two 'holy people', acting as parents, brothers, sisters, and over all guardians.

"I have heard you have all had a rough time my friends, and I wish to tell you a story that may bring you hope. It is one I stumbled upon in my travels of the mainland, and I couldn't help but see how similar it was to this humble village," Naruto paused as he saw the looks of joy come across the face of many of the younger children, many happy to hear of a story that could bring them hope. As he scanned the crowd, he could also see Hinata's confused look, and it only caused him to take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

"This story begins in a large Shinobi village, one which was rumored to be the most powerful in all the lands. It was indeed a great place to live, as it had a benevolent leader known as the Yondaime. He was perhaps the most powerful person that ever lived in that village, and always by his side was his loving wife, and his two daughters. Now his daughters were not related to him by blood, but by adoption. He took them in after they had lost their own family, and with his wife's help, he gave them hope once again. With them, he lived a happy life, and continued to protect his village against any enemy that would come to try to destroy it.

"Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so did these days for this family. One day while the Yondaime was away, his wife and children were attacked at home. The attackers were rival Shinobi who hated the Yondaime for his power, and skill. They thought that taking his wife would allow them to destroy the village, and never counted on their force of twelve to be held off by two girls who were half their age. The two daughters fought with everything they had to protect their mother, and in the end their fight showed how strong a person could be when protecting what is precious to them. Out of the twelve enemy Shinobi that came to that house, only two were able to flee that night, leaving the girls for death to claim."

Naruto looked around once again, seeing the saddened faces of the children, some crying at the tale. Next to him, he could feel Hinata squeezing his hand, as she knew the story he was telling. Nodding to her, he continued his story.

"Now these two girls were gravely injured, and would have died within minutes of their injuries, but they hung onto life as they crawled their way into the village and the Yondaime. Once there they told him of what happened, and what happened to his wife. He was infuriated, and yet he did not rush away like many would have done in his place. Instead, he scooped the brave warriors up into his arms, and carried them to get medical help. He stayed by their side until they were finally stabilized, knowing that if anything happened to them his wife would be furious, even if it meant her life. That was the devotion the family had to each other, and he would not betray it.

"Once his daughters were safe he left the village in search of those who took his wife. He was gone several days, searching high and low, and under every rock, tree, and piece of earth he came across. Sadly, though, while he was gone a greater evil was making its way to his village. A great evil that no human could ever beat; it was a force of nature that could only be described as a demon. It was in fact a demon, one that claimed the title of Lord of all Demons. It could destroy entire mountains with a single tail, cause great tsunamis that would wipe out entire countries with another tail. It spewed fire from its mouth, and would eat anything that tried to stop its maniacal rampage across the country."

As he waved his hands around, and tried to act like a monstrous demon, several of the children would cringe away in fear. Others would hide behind those close to them, and many started to cling onto Hinata, hoping she would protect them.

"The demon slowly made its way to the great village, and destroyed several smaller ones along the way. It left a path of destruction miles wide, and to this day, nothing grows in that area, the evil taint too great for even the animals to dare. The people of the village were terrified, and tried to muster the strength to hold it at bay until the great Yondaime could come and fight the monster. They fought bravely against the demon, and many lost their lives. Many Heroes were made that day, and many more were orphaned. Families were broken and lost, and yet they continued to fight, never letting despair set in.

"After several days of battling this great demon, the Yondaime finally arrived in the village, and could look over the wall to see nothing but destruction and death. The shouts of the injured and dieing reaching up to him from the village walls. Yet he still could not go out and join the battle, as he had one other thing to take care of first. He returned with his wife, who was severely injured by the enemy Shinobi, and was in labor with her first child. The man knew she was pregnant, but the baby was not due for another month; sadly, the pain she endured at the hands of the enemy was too much, and forced her into labor early. The Yondaime stayed by her side in the hospital, waiting to see his child, and praying to anyone who would listen that both would live."

Again, many children seemed to be crying, and trying to wipe their eyes free of tears. Hinata had her hands on the heads of two children who were lying down on her lap.

"Finally after what seemed like days the child was born healthy, but unfortunately his mother was not able to handle all of the pain and stress she had been through, and passed away shortly afterwards. Saddened by the loss of his wife, and the lives of many of his Villagers, he left to battle the great demon. He knew there was no way a mere human, even one as great as him could hope to kill such a monster. The only hope he had would be sacrificing himself to summoned the great Shinigami, and seal away the evil demon into the body of his son. In doing so, it would save the village from the monsters wrath. So he set out on his great-summoned animal, and confronted the demon. As he made his way to the monster, the cheers of his people followed him, and with him coming to the front lines, the spirits of everyone was lifted. Each Shinobi started to fight with a renewed vigor and started to fiercely attack once again.

"After exchanging several blows, the Yondaime saw his chance, and performed the ritual for the Shinigami. As he performed it, he looked down to his son, dreading the life he was going to put his son through. From that day forward, he would be forced to bear the burden of housing a great demon inside of him, and protecting those around him from its rage. It was his dieing wish that the people of the village would see him as a Hero. So with grim determination, he sealed the great demon into his son, and could hear the shouts of joy from his comrades. Many rushed to greet him, and praise him for defeating the demon, but as they drew closer he fell from his summon, and shocked everyone when they came upon him. With his final words he asked them to see the boy as a Hero, and told them of what he did that night."

Many of the children were now smiling at the tale, happy that the evil demon was finally defeated. By now, there were more kids around them, but now there were also several parents and other villagers sitting and listening to the story.

"The day after the great battle all of those able to, gathered in front of the building where their former and once again leader, Sandaime called out to them. He told them of the sacrifice of the Yondaime, but never told them of the child's heritage, as he himself did not know at the time. Then he told them of the wish of the Yondaime, and thought that the village would see the child as such. Sadly though, they called for the death of the boy, many claiming he was the demon incarnate. Several Shinobi tried to kill the child then and there, even while the Sandaime held him in his arms. Thankfully, they were thwarted by those who would honor the wish of the Yondaime, which were rare.

"Saddened that the people could not see the boy as only an innocent baby, who was no demon, he made a law that day. The law was that no one who knew the truth of the Demon's defeat could speak of it to the younger generation, or to speak of it aloud where those who did not know could hear. Those who would do so would be severely punished, and imprisoned. The wise old Sandaime hoped that this would give the boy a chance at living a normal life. This law applied to all Shinobi, and villagers, and angered many people. They had no other choice but to live by this law, even though they hated it. The Sandaime was saddened that day, as he believed that the village would be able to live up to the Yondaime's expectation."

Naruto stopped, and looked around again. By now, it looked as if the entire village was gathered around them, each of them listening intently to the story. In the back of the crowd, Naruto could see Anko and Shikamaru listening in, and nodding to him. Anko was smiling, and trying to reassure him from where she was.

"As the boy grew up, he was hated by the villagers, and many of the Shinobi. In the first half of his life, he had to deal with many people trying to kill him, even those who were supposed to care for him. The Sandaime on seeing this moved the boy into his own apartment when he was only six, and hoped this would be better for the boy. Even there the boy was assaulted, and the guards would often never lift a finger to help him. They would only step in when the boy was close to death, knowing they would be punished should he die. This went on for most of his life, and yet it was not the worst thing to happen to him. He had no friends that he knew of all this time. None of the parents would let their children play with him at the parks, and when that didn't work; they would chase him away. They told their children to never play with the boy, saying he was evil. This was the only way they could bend the law of the Sandaime with out ever breaking it.

"Things were not always bad for the boy, as he did slowly start to make friends. His first friend he made with out ever knowing it, a young girl who watched him, and saw what he went through. The girl was from a noble family in the village, and so being seen with him could cause problems with her father. So she watched him from afar, silently cheering him on, hoping he would keep getting up every time he was knocked down. The boy gave her courage and strength when she needed it, and boy did she need it. Even though the girl was from a noble family, she was also under a great deal of pressure. She was the heir to her family's name, and so was being groomed to take that title when she was ready. Sadly, her family enjoyed hurting others, and she only liked to heal, and help others. She was not able to take up her family's style, and it caused them to think she was inferior. And so it went on for years for the two, so much a like, yet never knowing how much until years down the road.

"The boy also gained another friend, one of his teachers in the Shinobi Academy of the village. At first, the teacher hated the boy because of the demon sealed inside of him. You see the demon had killed the teacher's parents when it attacked, and left him an orphan as well. Because of that, he held the boy responsible, and was mean to the boy, often asking him question that no one that age could answer. Yet the more the teacher watched the boy, the more he saw how wrong he was in his assumptions. He could see the childish innocence that no demon could copy. This was all while the boy would suffer the beatings from the villagers, and the glares that were sent his way. It was while he watched that the Teacher found out how wrong he was. All the boy would do was smile, and act as politely as possible, most of the time. Other times he would pull pranks on the village and his classmates in hopes of gaining their attention. In the end though, the young boy ended up reminding the teacher of what he was like at that time, and so melted one of the many cold hearts of the village."

Naruto smiled as he saw many of the girls smiling, looking happy that he had found another friend. Many of the boys and men were doing the same. Some of the older audience seemed to be shocked by how the village treated the young boy, and looked to be disgusted. Hinata now had more children in her lap, and Naruto had a few of his own by now. Before he started up again, he removed his hat, and placed it on the head of a small girl that was currently in the middle of his lap. As he did, the girl squealed in delight, and grabbed a hold of his hand, while smiling from underneath the large hat. Smiling at the girl, he moved her over as a young boy came to join him on his lap.

"So things went for the boy for the next few years of his life. He tried to graduate from the academy several times, but failed each time. Every time he did, the Teacher would take him out for ramen dinners, as the boy had developed a liking for the noodles. All of this time he never knew of the darkness within him, as everyone had 'obeyed' the law, and only bent it by forbidding their children from playing with him. Things changed in the boy's final year at the Academy, and what would be his third attempt to pass the test.

"The boy had worked hard the entire year, and was finally able to perform the single technique that he was never able to do, a simple **Bunshin no Jutsu**, which allowed him to create an illusionary clone of himself. It was simple enough, but the boy could not do it, because of the demon inside of him causing him to have problems with the technique. On the day of the test the boy did everything right, but something caused him to lose his concentration, and failed the technique. Sadly, he failed a third time, despite the pleas of one of the teachers. The teacher who was his friend, and like a big brother, would not let him pass, to do so would have been favoritism, and only put the boy at risk in the real world. The other teacher who pleaded for his case only did it for his own selfish reason. One that could cost the boy his life when they were revealed.

"That teacher would pull the boy aside after everyone had left the school, and told him of a 'secret' way to graduate from the Academy. He told the boy that he only had to steal a secret scroll from the office of the Sandaime, and not be caught. Then he would need to learn one technique from the scroll. The man also gave him a secret location to meet him at, there he would test the boy, and see if he could pass. Little did either of them know that they had been watched during the entire exchange. The girl that admired the boy for so long had followed him, disheartened that he did not graduate, and wanted to make sure he was okay. That night her life was changed, as was the young boy's life."

Naruto paused, and looked to the sky. The sun was slowly setting, and letting him know he needed to speed his story up some. He would have never guessed he had spent so long telling this story, and still have such an audience who was paying attention, and seemed to hang on every word.

"That night the boy stole the scroll from the Sandaime after he had knocked him out. He then went into the woods, never knowing the true intentions of the evil teacher. He spent several hours studying the scroll, and learned several things from it. All of this was done in blissful ignorance of what was going on in the village. People were hunting him down; several were intent on killing him when they found him. To them it was the perfect chance to kill the demon spawn, and get revenge for what it did twelve years ago. To others it was a race to save his life, as they knew if he was found by anyone but them, he could end up dead, or injured. The teacher who was like a big brother was one of these people, who frantically searched every place he knew of that the boy would hide in. Finally, he came across the boy in a small clearing on the outskirts of the village. Once there he heard of what the evil teacher had said to the boy, and knew it was a trap right away.

"Sadly, he was still severely injured by the evil one, as he threw a hail of shuriken and kunai at the teacher, pinning him to the cabin wall. He yelled out at the boy to give him the scroll, but he never would, as he was frozen in fear and confusion by what was going on. After numerous pleas from his friend to run, the evil teacher played one final card, the truth of twelve years ago. The good teacher shouted out to not to tell him, and yet he still did, knowing it would break the boy. He told the boy the truth about the Demon's defeat, and of how it was sealed inside of him. How that was why everyone hated him, and why he had no parents. He even told the boy that his best friend, the teacher pinned to the wall, hated him because he killed his parents. As he told the boy this, he made it sound like the boy was the demon itself, and not two separate individuals.

"Hearing these things made the boy break down and cry, and left him open for what would have been the one final attack by the evil one. He quickly pulled out a giant shuriken from his back, and hurled it at the boy, all in hopes of cutting him down and becoming a 'hero. The good teacher shouted out for the boy to move, but he never did. That left the teacher with one final option, one that could cost him his own life, but it was one he would gladly give to save his little brother. He threw himself in the path for the shuriken, and was impaled in the back by it. The boy looked up to see him bleeding from the wound, and crying over the boy. He told him that he did hate the demon, but never the boy. At first, he did see them as the same person, but over time, he saw they were two separate beings. He begged the boy for forgiveness, and for never telling him about it sooner. The boy was brought to tears once again at the words of his teacher, but they were never given a chance to clear the air."

Naruto smiled as many seemed to be on the edge of their seats now. None of them looked ready to leave until they heard the end of the story, parents sat with their children, husbands and wives sat with each other.

In the back of the group, Naruto could see one particular woman who seemed to be greatly affected by the story. She had dark blue hair, almost black, and wore a light red shirt, with a dark red color. She wore a black skirt that went down past her knees, and had watering eyes. It looked as if she was crying about the deeds done in the story, and while it was not strange, she seemed to be sharing the experience with the boy in the story. Naruto made a subtle movement to Anko and Shikamaru, pointing out the woman for them to watch while he finished his tale.

"The evil man pulled out another giant weapon, and prepared to kill both of them in one final attack. The boy could not see the deadly weapon flying at them because of his teacher over him. The teacher himself was unable to move because of the pain he was in. Both of them would have died that day had it not been for the shout of the girl that looked up to the boy. She came running from where she watched him study the scroll, and moved to try to save the both of them, even at the cost of her life. Little did she know that all it took was her pained and worried shout to bring the boy to his senses. Acting quickly, he threw his teacher off him and to safety while he braced for the impact of the weapon.

"When the weapon struck, it imbedded itself into the boys arm, and caused him to grind his teeth in hopes of fighting back the pain he felt. He was thrown to the ground by the force of the attack, and laid there dazed for several seconds. While he was down, the evil one threatened the girl. Since she was from a noble family, she possessed something that many would want from her family. So the evil men planed on killing her, the teacher, and the boy, and then flee with the scroll. The boy heard all of this and was angered, he pulled the weapon from his arm, screaming in pain, and made his way to his feet. In doing that, the boy unlocked a power from deep with in him, a power that was given to him at birth, and was the legacy of his father. With that power, he managed to defend against the evil man, and perform several techniques from the stolen scroll. His anger fueled him, and the will to protect the girl, and the man he considered a brother drove him to new heights. With a final cry to his friends to flee, he moved in for his final attack. He created several clones of himself, and attacked the man.

"These clones were not normal ones, as they could attack, deal and take damage. With these clones, he rushed his enemy, and performed a technique that caused them to explode, creating a massive explosion that could be seen all the way in the village. Inside of the village, the Sandaime, who was like a grandfather to the boy watched the entire battle. He was impressed that the boy had finally awakened his family legacy, and intended to tell the boy of it when they returned to the village. But first, he needed to call off the hunt for the boy, and inform the girl's parents he knew where she was. He also knew it was going to be an extremely long night for himself, and set about making tea for the talks to come.

"Back with the boy, he was pulling himself from the destroyed landscape, and came face to face with the girl and his teacher. He could hardly bare to look the two in the face, as he felt they would see him as the demon he held within. The boy felt like he was a monster and now that the girl knew, he thought she would think the same. He was about to try when the girl took a hold of his hands, causing him to look into her eyes, which also held tears within them. The girl spoke to him, telling him that a demon would never protect people like he did that night. That she would not even be there, and comforting him now if she felt that way. She was not afraid of him, and saw him as what he should be, a Hero, just as the Yondaime had wanted everyone to see. Her words brought joy to his heart, which knew very little of that emotion. He started to raise his head when the teacher spoke up to him next."

Everyone was leaning forward to hear what he would say next. Many had cheered when the boy defeated the evil teacher, and when the girl came to try to rescue him. Some of the women talked about how cute it was, and wondered if the two were together today.

Beside Naruto, Hinata fought back the blood rushing to her face at the comments of the people gathered around them. She only managed to do this by rubbing the back of a small child in her lap, one who had fallen asleep there. The children look too peaceful for Hinata and caused her to wonder when the last time she had slept so peacefully was.

Naruto watched the dark haired woman in the back, seeing her smile now, and wiping tears from her eyes as everything turned out well for the boy so far. Beside her Naruto could see a young boy wearing a hat and overalls trying to do the same. He leaned onto the woman as she placed a comforting hand onto his head.

"The teacher told the boy that if he thought he was a demon, he never would have taken him out to eat so much, or jumped in the way of his former friend. If anything he would have let the ones who wanted him dead find him first, but he didn't. He came to the boy first, and found him. Then he protected him as best as he could. The final straw was when the man told him that he would never have considered him a little brother. This caused the boy to jump at the man, and pull him into a hug as he cried onto his stomach. He thanked the both of them for their kind words, and still couldn't believe how kind they were being to him. That night ended up being one of the happiest nights in the boy's life, and he never thought anything could ever match it."

Naruto stopped once again, this time with a look on his face, and a tone in his voice that said it was the end of the story. As he did, many people started shouting out, and asking questions.

"What about the sisters?" shouted out one boy as he waved his hand around in the air.

"What did the Sandaime say about his parents?" asked a young teenage girl.

"Did the two get together after that? It's obvious the girl likes him, I mean who would go through so much for someone they admire," declared another teenage girl.

There were many other exclamations and questions asked, but none would be answered that night by Naruto or anyone else there.

"I'm sorry my friends, but that is all for today. There is more to the story, but it is getting late now. I will continue the story another time, perhaps within two days. For now though, I need to seek out a person, along with my faithful Shrine Maiden. Please excuse us for now. I hope to see you all at the next telling, as I'm sure you will enjoy the story. Children, please be sure to listen to your parents now, and remember the boy from the story." addressed Naruto as he gently removed the children from his lap, and reclaimed his hat.

Many cried out for him to continue, many of them children and teenagers. The parents and adults nodded in agreement, several of them smiling for the first time in what felt like years. Many of them shook his hands, and thanked him for such an entertaining story. Some seemed to be happier then they had ever been. All of them left the park that day with a new sense of hope, knowing that not everything in life will cause pain.

Naruto nodded, and thanked them for the praise, all the while making his way to where Shikamaru and Anko were standing. Each of them with a smile on their face, though Anko's held more energy then Shikamaru's did.

"That was a very nice story Kaos-san; I look forward to hearing more of it the next time. It seems to have lifted the spirits of many of those hear today, and I think it lifted my own as well. I think I will treasure this story for years to come," stated Anko as the duo walked up.

"Yes, after hearing the tales of what happened here, I felt that they could use something that could bring some light to their lives. I didn't intend to go that far into it, but once I started, I just couldn't stop. Enough of that though, I think it is time we sought out room and board for the night. I believe I know of such a place as well, it came to me near the end of my tale."

Anko nodded, and smiled at her brother. She turned and looked to where the dark haired woman was walking with the young boy by her side. Looking at the group, she nodded after them, and started to follow.

The small group followed the pair to a small house that sat on a small lake. Around it were several boarded walkways, and docks for the boats that probably once populated the house. The house itself sat over the water on stilts, and consisted of three different levels. Beside it was a small windmill that was turned by the waters passing beneath it. Both structures were simple, and yet very well built, no doubt a testament to the skill of the person who created them.

Watching for afar for several minutes, they saw the woman and boy walk into the house, and close the door. From where they were, they could hear the muffled voices greeting someone inside. Waiting several minutes, they walked to the front door of the house, and let Naruto walk to the front to knock.

Several minutes went by before the door finally opened to reveal a girl in a red Chinese style dress, and pink hair.

"Yes, could I help you?" asked the girl, not being able to see much of the monk's face because of the shadows cast by the hat.

"Yes my dear, I wish to speak with Tazuna-san. You see I am a traveling monk, with me is a Shrine Maiden, and we wish to seek room and board here, as well as speak with Tazuna-san about some things," answered Naruto, fighting back the laughter that fought to escape him.

Sakura looked over the monk and the maiden with a critical eye. They both looked young, but the life of those on the holy path did start early, nearly earlier then those of a Shinobi. Nodding her head slowly, she started to speak once again.

"Please wait here, I will get Tazuna-san. It shouldn't take me that long."

Naruto nodded his head, and turned to look at Hinata. She was trying to do the same as Naruto, and doing a much better job at keeping her merriment at bay. Finally, a man with gray hair, and beard, with glasses, and a white towel around his neck came to the door.

"Why hello Houshi-sama, I had just heard a little about your story from my daughter. Please come in, and you are welcomed as well my dear."

"If you would mind Tazuna-san, we have two others who travel with us that would also like to room here for the night. I can promise you it would be well worth the trouble," asked Naruto, as he stepped aside to show Anko and Shikamaru.

Tazuna only nodded his head, and asked them all to enter. Once everyone had removed their respective foot ware, they walked into what made up the dining room. From there they could see into the kitchen where the dark haired woman from before could be seen working on dinner, and speaking to the young boy from before.

Against the wall of the dining room stood a dark haired boy in white shorts, and dark blue shirt. His eyes were focused on the newcomers, scanning them for any signs of danger or deception. By the kitchen door stood another young boy, but with a light brown, almost auburn colored hair. He wore a hitaiate on top of his head, and had his hair falling forward over it. He too was watching the new comers, but also looking into the kitchen every now and then.

"Tsunami, you won't believe who is here," called out Tazuna to his young daughter in the kitchen. Hearing his voice caused the woman to turn around, as well as the young boy by her side. Upon seeing the group both of them smiled and the boy ran over to Naruto, and grabbed his hand.

"Houshi-sama could you tell me the rest of the story, please! I want to know what happened to the boy and girl next," shouted the boy as he started to drag Naruto and Hinata over to a small table.

"Inari, show some respect for them, they have probably traveled a great deal to make it here. I'm sure they are very tired after that story as well. Let them be for now and finish helping me in the kitchen." called out his mother, causing the boy to run to her side once again.

Tazuna walked up to the two again, and smiled as they watched Inari and Tsunami cooking in the kitchen. He couldn't help but smile as well, as he thought about how suddenly Inari changed by hearing the story from the monk.

"I must thank you, I don't know what the story was about, but Inari hasn't stopped talking about it since he got home. Something in it seems to have given him some hope back, and we haven't had much of that in this house for some time. Please though, tell me your name so that I may properly thank you and your friends."

"Well Tazuna-san, I am more then happy to give hope back t those who need it. I had heard the story of your country, and couldn't help but come to see if they were true. I was saddened when I saw that they were. When we were walking through the city we saw the life many lived, and when doing so that story came to me, and I felt a need to tell it to who ever would listen. Please excuse me I am rambling. My name Tazuna-san is," Naruto paused as he started to remove his hate, with his head bowed.

Sakura and the others looked on as a bundle of blonde hair jumped out from beneath the hat, but they still could not see the face of the monk in front of them.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm sorry to say I am not a real monk, but I can still tell Inari-kun the story if he would like." claimed Naruto as he raised his head up and smiled at Tazuna.

Sakura gasped as he finished, and looked to the other members of the group, who she could now see as the members of Team 10.

"We heard you guys ran into some trouble Tazuna-san, so Hokage-sama sent some back up, but our mission is slightly different from Team 7. We were sent here to kill Gatoh, and I can't wait to meet this bastard," declared Anko as she walked forward to shake a now shocked hand of Tazuna.

* * *

**A/N:** So I am just over an hour late, sorry about that, but the last part was longer then I expected it to be.

For the comments Anko made while shopping, I would like to thank Edric Loto for allowing me t use his idea from _The Hyuuga Way,_ where the is a running joke about how Naruto judges a female's Chakra reserves. It is not a full blown copy of it, but more of a subtle hint. If women's chakra reserves could be judged by their breasts, then I had to put how women could judge a man's chakra reserves. The answer was fairly obvious I think. I would reccomend the story to anyone who likes to read great stories.

No Haku or Zabuza this chapter, but I have not forgotten them. They will appear next one obviously, and it should have some nice action in it.

For the question I asked in last chapter's edit, I see most of the review to it split, many wanting a Fem Haku paired with Naruto, and many wanting it to just stay a pure Naruto and Hinata. I will probably leave it that way, and come up with something else for Haku, because there might just be a way for them to live through this if Team 10 can do their job properly.

As for the disguises I picked for the team, many of you may know where Naruto's came form, and Hinata's to a lesser extent. The reason I selected disguises like these, instead of them using Henge, is because historical Ninja would usually dress in such attire to perform their "missions". They found it easier to move around, and would cause less suspension to be placed on them by dressing up like the masses.

As for the way people were acting in Wave Country, I thought that they would be more then happy to receive some good luck blessings from someone, given their current situation. The part with Naruto telling the story was his way of inspiring them, and letting them know that despite all of the darkness they have lived in, there will be happiness some where down the line. His life story is an ideal example of that, at least I think it is. Well enough of that for now, I looked forward to reading your reviews, and seeing what you thought about the story. I will try to keep to my update schedule, and not fall behind again.

**EDIT:** Removed Naruto mentioning the Kyubi by name in his story to the people of Wave.


	5. Revolution Part 1

-1**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Naruto_, or s-_CRY-ed_. I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'**_Demon Thoughts'_**

_**A/N:**_ I decided to name the village Tazuna lives in. I do not know about other writers, but I like to have names for things, more so if I am going to refer to it throughout a story.

* * *

_**Previously**_

"Well Tazuna-san, I am more then happy to give hope back t those who need it. I had heard the story of your country, and could not help but come to see if they were true. I was saddened when I saw that they were. When we were walking through the city we saw the life many lived, and when doing so that story came to me, and I felt a need to tell it to who ever would listen. Please excuse me I am rambling. My name Tazuna-san is," Naruto paused as he started to remove his hate, with his head bowed.

Sakura and the others looked on as a bundle of blonde hair jumped out from beneath the hat, but they still could not see the face of the monk in front of them.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm sorry to say I am not a real monk, but I can still tell Inari-kun the story if he would like." claimed Naruto as he raised his head up and smiled at Tazuna.

Sakura gasped as he finished, and looked to the other members of the group, who she could now see as the members of Team 10.

"We heard you guys ran into some trouble Tazuna-san, so Hokage-sama sent some back up, but our mission is slightly different from Team 7. We were sent here to kill Gatoh, and I can't wait to meet this bastard," declared Anko as she walked forward to shake a now shocked hand of Tazuna.

* * *

**Revolution**

While Naruto and the rest of Team 10 were introducing themselves to Tazuna, and the rest of his family, others were running around about the news of the mysterious young monk, and the priestess with him.

Inside of a large compound located not far from Tazuna's small village, several men were quickly running out of the path of two men. Both of these men had a look on their face that yelled out, "Get in my way and die!" and so people rushed to flee their sight.

One was of average height, about 5'9, and had dark brown hair, with several large tufts, and a samurai topknot. He walked down the halls of the dark compound shirtless, despite the chill that was in the nighttime air of the country. He wore a red and white hakama over his bandaged waist, and around that was what looked like the remains of an old shirt. Around his waist was a beat up old katana that looked like it had seen better days. Around his left arm, starting at his wrist was a long tattoo that wrapped around his arm, and came to rest on his shoulder. From there the tattoo took on the appearance of waves, and ran down the left side of his back. One of the most distinguishing features of this man was the eye patch covering his right eye, with straps that connected to it in a 'T' shape. His lone eye was the eye of a man who killed with out remorse.

The second man was just as intimidating as the first. He wore a small black pointed cap on his head, which barely covered up his long neck length gray hair. Unlike the other man, this one wore a thick hooded jacket with several pockets along the front, and sleeves. The jacket went down past his waist and stopped just above his knees. Where his waist would be, the jacket was bandaged tightly to his body, and an old katana hung there. He wore a black hakama that ended above his ankles.

Both of these men were the right and left hands of the boss. The man who's mere name struck fear into many of the Wave Country, and along the Wave, and Fire Country border. To anger them was nearly the same as asking for death, and right now, they were beyond angry about the news they were just given. It was because of that they were stalking the halls of the compound, hoping to find their master, and deliver the news to him.

This was also, what was causing them fear for their lives. While their boss was not a physical person, he did know people who knew people who knew someone who could end their lives. It would not be the first time it has happened either, because the man never could handle bad news very well. They could only hope he would handle this better then the others things he had in the past. As if remembering such a situation, the first man raised a hand to his right eye, and gently ran it across the patch over it.

Finally, both men came to a stop in front of a large ornate wooden door. The handles made out of gold, and etched to look like the country it resided in. Both men paused, and looked to each other, as if they were debating who would knock and draw attention to them. After several minutes, the two looked at each other and shared a nod. Both men stepped forward and grasped a handle each, and pulled the door open, revealing a room with intricate silk curtains, and a massive ornate desk. Behind the desk sat the person they were there to meet, and currently had his back to both of the men.

"What do you want Waraji, Zori, I am a very busy man right now, and I can't be bothered. What ever brought you here better be important or I might have to find me two new bodyguards."

The voice was old, and scratchy, as if the person had been smoking for too long. It was also slightly of a higher octave, and sounded labored at the time. Both men looked at each other again, and knew what their boss was doing.

"Sir, we have news about the village and Tazuna. It might be best if we spoke in private about the matter," answered Waraji, the one-eyed samurai.

Both samurai watched as their boss said something too soft for them to hear, and noticed a woman now standing and fixing her kimono before she walked out of the room. Slowly the chair behind the desk turned to face them to reveal a short ugly man in a low dollar black suit with a yellow button up shirt and red tie. He wore small round black glasses with black lenses, and had frizzy gray hair and receding hairline to match his age. The scowl on his face showed both swordsmen how pleased he was to be disturbed during his "me" time.

"It's about Sui (name for Tazuna's village), it seems that those Kiri-nins failed to kill Tazuna. It could be because they just plain suck at their job, or the Konoha-nins hired by that old fart are that good. Either way the old man is still alive, and at home now," stated Zori, as he watched his boss's hands, making sure they did not offer some sign of danger.

"I see, so that little dog from Kiri was all bark and no bite. I will have to pay him a visit some time this week, and make sure he knows not to cross me. Maybe slap around that little kid he always has with him as well, though I might be able to find other uses for him on the slave market," replied Gatoh as he folded his hands on top of the desk, "Now is there anything else I should be concerned about? If not I would like to get back to what I was doing before you interrupted me."

Waraji stepped forward this time, and started to speak while looking at his boss.

"Well, there is one other thing Sir, there seems to be a monk and a priestess in the village. They just came in today, and already the town is in an uproar about them. It seems as if they are renewing the hope they had before we killed that fool Kaiza."

Gatoh looked up at the men, and smiled at both of them. It unnerved the two battled hardened men to see this toothy and sinister grin on the man's face. Each time they had seen it; several people had died by their hands. During those times though, they knew whom the sinister smile was meant for, and never second-guessed it when killing the people. Now though was an entirely different story, because now it was not just anyone they would have to kill.

"Is that all, well that problem is easy to solve. Kill them both, and hang the bodies in the center of town. Wait, on second thought, we should treat the monk as we did the last Hero of that damn village. Bring him here first though, and then we will parade him through Sui, and let them see what happens to those who try to play Hero. Hm, perhaps I could even give them a little show with the priestess as well; let all of the men have their way with her…"

Both of the samurai looked at each other, uncomfortable with the topic of discussion being started by Gatoh. They turned back to see Gatoh with an even larger grin on his face as he licked his lips, as if anticipating the things to come.

"Boss, are you sure that is smart? I mean they are holy people, and who knows what could happen if we did that… Besides, what about the ninja's hired by that old bastard Tazuna," asked Zori.

"Don't tell me you believe in that rubbish! If I was worried about such trivial things, I would not be as wealthy as I am today. There is only one thing in this world that matters, and that is money. Those who have it can do what ever they wish. Those who do not must bend to the will of those who do. I have the money here, you will do what I say, and so will that annoying little village. If they don't I could save myself the trouble and wipe the entire place out!"

The small man had jumped from his chair, and slammed his palms down on the desk, sending a ringing sound throughout the room. He was seething, and obviously annoyed that he still had to deal with this one village. The one village that would not roll over and accept their fate; the one village that always seemed to get a spark of hope right when he was ready to destroy it, and it pissed him off to no extent.

"Tomorrow we go to visit Zabuza, and see why he failed. If Zabuza cannot handle Tazuna, then I will send you two after his daughter and her brat. Maybe then he will learn to respect the power of money."

Zori and Waraji just nodded and left the man alone as he called for one of his many personal slaves. They would have to send a group out tomorrow to handle this monk, and hope after he was roughed up he would leave.

"Zori, how do you feel about killing a Monk, and Gatoh defiling a priestess?" asked Waraji as they walked to the portion of the compound that served as the barracks.

"I don't like it. I may not be a religious man, but some things I would never do. Killing a holy man, and doing that to a priestess are some of the main things I avoid," claimed the man as he looked to his partner, and could see that they shared the same opinion on the subject.

"I know lets just hope that the guy gets the hint after he is roughed up a little. If not, then we have no other choice."

Zori only nodded to his partner as they slowly approached the door to the barracks. During their career as samurai for hire, both men had avoided doing what was asked of them now. Not god fearing, but they were superstitious enough to think that attacking a monk is always asking for some kind of trouble.

* * *

**Tazuna's House**

"I see, so Zabuza and Kakashi fought, Kakashi got to cocky, again, and ended up trapped inside of a jutsu by Zabuza. From there, you," she paused as she pointed at Choji, "attacked with the **Nikudan Sensha** (Human Meat Tank) to distract Zabuza, and destroy his clones. While he did that, you two," here she pointed at Sasuke and Sakura, "sent a barrage of weapons at Zabuza. He ended up dodging, or deflecting a number of them, except for the fuhma shuriken that was thrown. That one was directed at the arm holding Kakashi prisoner in the Jutsu. If that didn't force him to, then Choji would have also run him over when his attack sent him skidding across the water, am I right so far," asked Anko as she looked at the members of Team 7. Each one just nodded their head at her, and the brief version of the fight with Zabuza.

"Good, after that Kakashi continued to fight him, and blabbed about how special his Sharingan is, and that it could tell the future. He went to finish Zabuza off, but a Kiri Hunter-nin came in and killed Zabuza with senbon to the neck. Kakashi then checked him, claimed he was dead, and watched as the Nin vanished with the body of Zabuza. Shortly after Kakashi passed out of Chakra exhaustion, and you all walked here and sat with your hands in your laps waiting for that moron to wake up. Hinata dear, how long would you say it will be before Zabuza is ready to fight again," asked Anko she hit herself in the head with an open palm, and shook her head disbelievingly.

The Hyuga girl in question was currently busy in the kitchen helping Tsunami with dinner. Once introductions had been done, Naruto had quickly opened a scroll that he kept a large supply of food in, one he packed knowing Choji would be at their destination. Tsunami was surprised, and pleased to see the produce brought, and quickly went about making the meal. As she heard the question, she stopped what she was doing, and raised a gloved hand to her chin in concentration.

"I would give him a week to a week and a half, depending on the skill of the person who removes the needles. If done properly, a person could be up and fighting in two to three days, but if the needles are just pulled out harshly, then it will likely take a week, maybe more," summed up Hinata as she went back to preparing the meal for the group.

Sasuke looked at the members of Team 10 in disbelief. Just how could they know so much, and why were they talking as if Zabuza was still alive. He was about to ask that very question when Sakura spoke up, much louder then anything he could ever muster.

"Wait, are you saying that Zabuza is still alive? I mean we all saw the Kiri Hunter-nin kill him, and Kakashi-sensei even checked his pulse and said he was dead. So how can you sit here and talk as if that crazy guy is still alive!" screamed Sakura, still in fear of what she felt from the man earlier that day.

"Its easy Sakura, Anko-sensei and Hinata talk like he is alive because he IS still alive. The first give away is the weapon used by the Hunter-nin. Senbon needles are only used when pinpoint accuracy is needed, and pressure points require that. Hunter-nins are trained to know all about the body, pressure points included. Using senbon allowed the Hunter-nin to hit certain points inside of Zabuza's neck, which put him into a deathlike state for a short period of time," answered Shikamaru from beside Choji.

"What are the other reasons, you spoke as if there was more to it," asked Sasuke as he leaned forward on the table, his hands propping up his head.

"The second reason is that a true Hunter-nin would never leave an area with the entire corpse intact. They would destroy the body and its secrets on the spot the person died. The only exception to this would be if the body was found submerged, or on water. After they moved it to a dry location, or killed the target, all they would have to do is remove and preserve the head as proof of the death of the missing-nin. The fact that this one left the area with the corpse shows they are not who they claim to be," answered Naruto from the wall, causing Sasuke to scowl in his direction.

"Now since we have that covered, I think we should look into doing some training, at least for Team 7. Team 10 still has a mission to complete, and information to gather. We need to have our part of this mission done before that week is over. So tell me, what Kakashi has taught you guys," asked Anko as she turned a judging eye to the members of Team 7. Sakura started to squirm under her gaze, and Choji could only smile, knowing she knew the situation all too well. Sasuke glared at the woman in front of him, seemingly not fazed by the look on her face.

Silence reigned supreme for several minutes, no one wanting to say anything. The only sound that could be heard was the cooks preparing dinner in the kitchen, and the breathing of Tazuna could be heard. It was not too surprising after all; Tazuna had just realized that a small group of kids was sent to kill the man who caused his family so much pain. Not only that, but the man who tried to kill him still alive. In short, he was in awe of the skill this new team seemed to have, and yet feared for his life because of Zabuza still being alive.

It ended up being Choji who broke the tense silence.

"Kakashi-sensei taught us a little, but not much. It was somewhat hard to hold training since he was always late. I think he taught Sakura how to recognize Genjutsu and how to dispel it. With Sasuke, I think he worked on Taijutsu, and some Ninjutsu. He said that since I had family jutsus, that it might be best if I trained in those for now," and as he finished Anko could only sigh in disgust.

"Okay, small change in plans. We are going to have to wait until Kakashi wakes up to see what he wants you to do. Till then, Choji you and I will handle guard duty when Tazuna leaves the house. Shikamaru, you continue to sell our goods, and keep up the ruse. (Not to mention it gives us some extra money) Hinata, Naruto you two do the same, since you guys seem to be better at getting information," firmly stated Anko, not caring how much she was glared at by Sasuke of Sakura.

"Shikamaru will act as your backup and support, and if you ever feel the need to act on our goal, do so when you feel the time is right. Shikamaru will take command of that portion of the mission when each of you feels the time is right. Sadly, I am going to be baby sitting until Kakashi can get his lazy butt up." finished Anko as she looked around.

To those not used to her behavior it would look as if she was expecting questions about her plan. To those who knew how she acted, they knew she was not expecting anyone to question her, but sadly, two thirds of Team 7 did not know that.

"What does that tub of lard get to go on guard duty, and we get stuck with you and what ever Kakashi-sensei wants! If anything Sasuke-kun should be doing the guard duty, and he should be doing what he does best, eating," yelled out Sakura as she pointed accusing fingers around the room. First to Choji, then Anko, and slowly she ran it across all of Team 10. These actions garnered a few unpleasant looks towards her, which she seemed to be oblivious.

"Sakura, I don't think you know much about your team. Choji has been training with us whenever he finished what you people called training sessions and missions. As ironic as it may seem, he also took part in our nighttime training sessions, the ones designed for stealth training. During that time, he probably picked up experience that is more practical with us, then he did with his own team. Hell he spent so much time with us, we even picked out a disguise for him to wear, but he will never admits he likes it," spoke Anko as she winked to the sputtering Choji.

Team 10 laughed at the now flustered boy, and those close to him tried to pat him on the back to keep him from choking on his chips.

"That still doesn't answer why we have to listen to you," mumbled Sasuke, his voice laced with anger and resentment.

"I am the ranking Jonin present right now, and that puts me in charge until your Sensei is able to resume your training, and instruction. If you have a problem with that, then take it up with Hokage-sama when and if you return to the village, now any other questions?" As she asked the question, Anko looked around at the group, and could see the wheels turning in the heads of Sasuke and Sakura. Both of them were obviously not pleased with what she had told them, and would continue to pick things apart until their egos were satisfied.

"Why does your team get to move around with out an instructor? I would think that for your mission objective, you would be more focused on them," asked Sakura as she looked to Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata; the defeats they suffered over the last few weeks bubbling to the top of her mind. Anko only sighed at the girl's question as she leaned back and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Here I was expecting a difficult question from you, but I'll answer it none the less. The reason why I don't need to watch my team is that I've trained them enough that I believe in their abilities and judgment. Assassins will normally work alone, except when they are in training, or it is a simple mission. I have three would be assassins, and each of them have the skills needed for the job. I don't need to be there to hold their hands, because they will be there for each other, and keep each other in line." finished Anko as Hinata, Tsunami and Inari brought dinner into small dining room/living room.

"Enough of the gloomy talk, let us all enjoy this meal, because it is the first time in the last two years we have truly had a need for a feast," called out Tsunami in a loving and motherly voice. All arguing stopped when she spoke those words and the small group converged on the table, happy to have a decent meal for the first time in what felt like days for Team 7.

* * *

**Konoha**

While the others were in Wave country enjoying a nice peaceful meal, Sarutobi was busy in his office. With him was Hyuga Hiashi, Yuhi Kurenai, Umino Iruka, and Nara Yoshino/Shikaku, each of them there for different reasons, and yet all of them there for the same reason. They were each worried about the members of Team 10, and the mission they were given. To a lesser extent, they were concerned for Team 7, but they had it easier, Team 7 would not have to walk into the serpent's nest to complete their mission.

"Hokage-sama, I understand they are skilled, but might it not too early to send such young Genin on a mission like this? I do not know much about the man who runs the Gatoh Shipping Company, but if what Kakashi's message is true then he could be nearly as dangerous as a B-class if not an A-class missing-nin," came the slightly worried voice of Yuhi Kurenai.

Of all of the Genin that she had hoped to have on her team, Hyuga Hinata was the one she wanted the most. When the girl was younger, she would walk her to school, acting as her guard. During that time she had formed a bond with the heir, similar to mother and daughter, or one of sisterly love. She knew Hinata's deepest secrets, and knew of her darkest fears. When she had spoken to Hinata after the teams were formed, she had seemed ecstatic. The reason was obvious to Kurenai, as she had finally gotten her wish to be teamed with Naruto. At the same time though, the girl seemed different, and seemed to have a critical eye when she observed the villagers now. Kurenai had never found out what happened the day of graduation, but she knew it had to of had something to do with the sudden change in the girl.

Around the room, Iruka nodded in agreement with her, even though he was present, and was the cause of them getting the mission. It was not long after they left that he started to have doubts about it, but would never question the Hokage in the open. He would only voice them in these closed meetings, where no one would know what was discussed, except for those in the room.

Nara Yoshino may be a strict and over bearing mother, but it could never be said that she did not love her son. When Shikamaru had come home telling her about the mission they were assigned she was frozen in fear. She had never thought that her son would have such a mission so soon in his Shinobi career, and did not think he was ready for what it would entail for him or his friends. The only problem was that before she could protest to the boy he was already out of the house, leaving only a trail of dust in his wake. Never before had she seen the boy run so fast, and could only attribute it to him knowing how she felt about the situation.

Shikaku was not home when Shikamaru had come home to gather his things for the mission, but when he did come home he found his wife at the front door on her knees. Her eyes were red, and there was the tell tale signs of tears on her cheeks. He picked her up, and moved her inside the family room and let her calm down. When she finally did, and told him about what happened, he too froze as he thought about what could happen on the mission.

Hyuga Hiashi seemed to think differently of the situation though, and did not seem at all worried about his daughter and her team. At first glance, Kurenai thought it was his former attitude towards the girl, but as she looked at the man in greater length, she could see something in his eye she had never seen before. The man looked like he was proud of his daughter for getting such a mission, something that he never showed her before.

Clearing his throat to ensure he had everyone's attention, the Hokage looked everyone in the eyes before speaking, "I understand your concerns, but in making Team 10 an assassination team I received updates every day on their progress, and the methods used by Anko. She trains them twice a day in their new found art, once in the middle of the night, and another during normal hours. The training has been anything but easy, as I am sure Hiashi can attest to, and it has provided the desired results.

"In addition to that, they have also trained in the same fashion as the other teams. They have become skilled trackers with the Hinata's **Byakugan**, and Shikamaru's knowledge. They are also skilled at infiltrations with Naruto's knowledge of disguises, and stealth. If the need comes, Naruto would also be able to hold off an entire army to allow the remaining members of the team a chance to retreat and regroup. In short, this team is able to perform the functions of all three new teams at the same time. It is amazing that we didn't see this at first, but all three of their skills do allow them to perform in a number of roles."

Hiashi nodded his head in agreement with the Hokage's words, and at the same time, Yoshino could not help but agree with them both. She had never seen her son come home as tired as he had in the last few weeks. Then there were the odd hours that he would wake up and leave the house, but she had never known what it was for at the time. Now she could only guess that it was for the training Anko had put them through the last few weeks.

"I can understand Hokage-sama, but do you think they are ready to take another life? What if they freeze up, and it costs them their own life, or someone from Wave," asked Iruka. Kurenai quickly nodded, knowing Hinata would not have the desire to kill, and from what she had seen of Naruto, he might be hesitant as well.

The Hokage was about to answer, but was cut off by Hiashi speaking, "I know for a fact that Anko has been trying to prepare them for this through their training. I do not know about you, Yoshino-san, Shikaku-san, but she pulled me aside one day to speak with me about the possibility of Hinata and her first kill. She told me she had discussed it that day with the entire team, and wanted me to expect and answer any questions Hinata may ask."

"She never said anything to me, but at the time she did, I may have been out of the house, and Shikaku was there. I think that this is likely something he would want to speak with his father about, and not his mother. I still can't help but wonder about this Gatoh person though, do we know anything about him Hokage-sama?" asked Yoshino as she turned her pleading eyes to the Hokage.

Sighing, and removing his hat, he reached for his favorite pipe before he started to speak, "No, we don't know much, but I have several ANBU squads gathering information now. One of the groups came back with some small details though. It seems he uses his company as a cover for his darker deals. He takes part in the slave trade, women and men, boys and girls. He also deals with weapons, and seems to have stumbled upon a rare find from Snow Country's former regime. Weapons that can fire a massive number of kunai out faster then any Shinobi could ever hope to dodge them. These weapons have been used by some of his private ships to form a blockade around the Wave Country, and it has proven effective, only allowing the bravest through. Aside from weapons, he also deals in drug trafficking, and stolen treasures form the countries of the mainland, and some of the ones off the coast."

As the Hokage summed up the small report, many of those around the room started to have serious doubts, even Hiashi. The Hokage even seemed to be affected by the news he just delivered to the gathered group.

"I think that what ever Gatoh has, Anko will have trained them to handle. After all, she was trained by one of the premiere assassins of all times after the Kyubi attack. His training allowed her to become the person she is today. It is not every day that a person is allowed to train under the last members of the Azuma clan, and primary weapon for the Daimyo," firmly claimed the Hokage, causing the heads of many in the room to rise, and focus on him. Smiling, he continued, "Let us trust in Anko, and her Sensei of the shadows, Rikimaru."

As everyone heard the name, they all shivered as if a winter wind blew through the room. They knew of the man's expertise, and his record of accomplishment. None of the people in the room would wish to cross the man, not even Hiashi. If Anko studied under the man, then perhaps they were ready.

Shikaku was one of the first to break the silence of the room after that declaration by the Hokage.

"I've heard some stories about him, and none of them give many details. What they all have in common is he is able to get into any location with out being seen. Those that do see him never live long enough to tell anyone about it. No one knows what he really looks like, or his age, and this has lead many to believe he could be immortal. He is a true Ninja, who never uses any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu as far as I have heard. He masters in stealth, and deception, and only answers to the Lord of the Country."

"Yes, there is rumors that he is even able to sneak pass a Hyuga who is ready for him, and he knows no fear. If this man taught Anko after her traitorous teacher left, then I believe she is more then capable of passing her knowledge down. I just wonder why such a man would take an interest in her," thought Hiashi aloud, causing a number of heads to bob in agreement.

* * *

**Sui, Wave Country**

It was now morning in the small village, and several people were already out of bed. Three of these people were moving through the streets, two side by side, and stopping to greet the children, and villagers they came across. The third was walking along the streets, looking for a place to sell his goods. Each of them had one goal in mind, gather information, and become friends with the villagers. This part seemed easier then one would have thought in an oppressed town. It was true though, the people were very open now, and did not hide their smiles, and laughter, much as they did the last two years.

After the day before, and Naruto's story, everything seemed to be brighter inside of the small village of Sui. The people were wearing smiles on their faces, and seemed to be eager to start a new day. Windows and doors were thrown open, and the streets were being cleaned of rubbish. It seemed to the three new comers that life had started to flow back into the small village, something that they were proud to be a small part of the previous day. It would be some time before things truly started to come back together, but things were well on their way to doing just that.

Currently the first two newcomers were currently heading to what could be called the town square. Once there, they spoke with the villagers, and once again asked about the devil who had taken over their country. Where they meet some resistance the day before, today they meet little, and the information was more forth coming to them.

While many did not know the exact design of Gatoh's compound, many claimed that it was built like a fortress, and housed an army ready to defend it. Others said that it used to be the home of the Daimyo of the country before Gatoh came into power. None of the men that guarded the place was rumored to be Shinobi, only mercenaries and other hired swords. The skills were often questioned, but the numbers were reported to be nowhere lower then a hundred. This unnerved the two newcomers to no extent, for their target resided in the heavily guarded compound.

The taller figure sighed as they started to walk out of the central part of the village, and to the outskirts, where it was wooded and peaceful. Once there both figures sat down among the trees, and listened to the animals and the wind.

The shorter figure looked to the taller one, seeing the bags under the person's eyes, and knowing what must have happened last night.

"Another long night Kaos-sama?" asked the indigo haired girl. The figure with the straw hat only nodded, causing the bells to jingle with the movement. She smiled softly towards the person, and wished she could drop the guise and speak normally with the man. Sadly, though you never know where ears may grow, and who may be watching.

"Yes, it seems that my friend just won't leave me alone. Ever since I found out about It, I've had trouble sleeping during the nights of the full moon. It seems to be testing the seal, and trying to find a way out of it. I'm not sure if It will ever find on, but the nights without sleep are going to catch up to me sooner or later." calmly stated the man in the straw hat. His voice was normally full of energy and confidence, but now it held regret and despair in it.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Once this time passes, it should return to normal," stated the hopeful voice of the girl, smiling again at the man as he looked at her, a smile gracing his face now.

"That is true, and if need be I can always try a suppresser seal I have been working on; thanks to a scroll I found before we left home. The only problem is I am not sure what the side effects would be, if any. Hopefully tonight will be the last night, and I won't have to worry about it again until the next lunar cycle," said the man as he released a heavy sigh, and started to rise from his spot by a tree.

"Perhaps some breakfast will help me gather my thoughts and focus, what do you say Hinata-chan," as the man as he stood to his full height, and offered a hand to the girl. She smiled up at him, and took his callused hand into her hand. He gently pulled her to her feet, and let her clean the leaves and dirt from her clothes.

"I think that would be an excellent idea Kaos-sama," replied the angelic voice of the girl.

With that, both walked back into the village. As they strolled in, they were once again greeted by the people and the children of the village. Many of the children were asking about the story, and wondering when they could hear more. Others would ask the couple to play with them, or complimenting them on how they looked.

The two were about to walk into a small café when a hand suddenly fell onto Naruto's shoulder, and spun him around. There behind the two was a group of six men, and each of them armed with weapons that would cause normal people to shiver in fear.

Two of the men held naginatas, and were leering at the monk and priestess. Their clothing was nondescript, but had seen better days. The third man had a katana strapped to his waist, and wore no shirt, presenting his scared chest to the world. The person next to him held a spear, and had it pointed towards the crowd, daring anyone to come near them. The person beside him held two kamas in front of him, also acting as crowd control.

The final man, who happened to be the one who grabbed Naruto and spun him around, was dressed in nothing but black baggy pants and sandals. On his forehead he wore a simple piece of clothe to hold back his ratty brown hair. Resting on his shoulder was a large mace, with several dangerous spikes poking out from the ends of it.

"Well hello there monk-_sama_, we need to have a talk with you and the pretty lady," spoke the leader, spitting out the honorific with disdain. The man's voice held anything but respect, and he had a crazed look in is eyes.

Naruto looked to the man, and took in the sight of the other armed men and the weapons they held. As he did, he noticed the villagers gathering around them, hoping to protect him from the men. Fearing what would happen to them; he quickly spoke up, and drew all attention to him.

"I think we should speak as well, but perhaps at a better location? I wouldn't want someone to do something they may regret later," spoke Naruto in a calm voice, seemingly soothing the nerves of the villagers.

The leader of the thugs look around, and could see they were out numbered, even if his men had better weapons then the villagers. However, the one thing that worked so well for Gatoh and his men now worked for the villagers, numbers. Right now, he and his men were out numbered, and that could be disastrous for him and his men. So nodding his head, they circle the monk and priestess, ready to lead them to a better place to talk.

Naruto was about to speak out, and ask them to leave Hinata behind. When he went to open his mouth to ask them, he received a jab in the side from Hinata, who leveled her eyes at him, knowing what he was going to say. He looked at her with pleading eyes, trying to tell her he did not want her to be in danger. It was useless though, as she shook her head in defiance, and turned to look at the men.

As the small group continued to walk down the streets in a circle, the men with the katana, spear, and naginatas formed the circle, while the man with the mace, and the one with the kamas kept guard over the 'prisoners'. As they went, they gathered a larger crowd of villagers, and this time they were brandishing rudimentary weapons. Pitchforks, spears, harpoons, crossbows, axes, and any other tool and every day item that could be used as a weapon was seen by the small group, each held by an angry villager intent on protecting the duo in the middle of the circle.

The leader suddenly had a bad feeling about trying to take the monk and maiden away from these people. He was about to warn the villagers to stay back when the monk's calming voice caused him to jump, and look around fearfully.

"Please, all will be fine; they will not harm us in any way. Hinata-chan and I are more then capable of taking care of ourselves. Return to your homes, and businesses. I do not want to see any of you getting hurt because of me," called out Naruto as he tightened his grip on the staff he held. While he was calm on the outside, inside his mind was racing, knowing that now he was not fighting **Kage Bunshins**, but living breathing humans.

Hinata nodded to the people, and decided to speak to soothe the nerves of the villagers, "Please, we would not be able to bear seeing you get hurt because of us. Let us handle these problems ourselves, and everything will be fine," her pleading heavenly voice, caused many of the villagers to feel guilty for causing her pain like that.

Slowly, the people started to thin down, and when it did, they had just happened to be walking past a certain dark haired man who was selling small trinkets and bobbles. He watched as the group walked by him, and once they were out of sight, packed up his goods, and started down the same path.

After several minutes of tense silence, the leader of the thugs finally spoke up, and addressed the monk and maiden.

"It's a good thing you got them to back off, or else we might have had to do something drastic, like cut your friends pretty little neck. Who knows how many of them we would have killed in the process as well," came his deep voice, causing the others of the group to laugh as the tension faded.

Naruto looked up at the man, giving him a chance to see what they were sent to handle, and he was surprised to see that this monk seemed to be nothing more then a child. His shock was evident as he stumbled along, and nearly crashed into one of the men with naginatas, but he quickly righted himself. He looked and saw the smile on Naruto's face, and was about to ask about it, but Naruto had beaten him to put words to the thought.

"If you assume I did that for my companion's safety, you are wrong. I did that for your own safety, and the safety of the villagers. I am not afraid of you, nor is my companion here. I honestly am surprised that your boss would send someone to talk with us so soon. I was expecting you tomorrow, but I suppose today is just as good as any other," calmly stated the boy as he stopped in the middle of the road, causing the men to stop with him.

"What are you doing, keep moving," yelled out one of the men.

Naruto stood there, and glanced over to Hinata who nodded her head in agreement. Each of the men were watching them, wondering what they were doing. They both each suddenly tensed when Naruto raised a hand to his head, and started to remove his straw hat.

As his blonde hair came into view, he quickly threw the hat high into the air, and grabbed his staff in both hands. At the same time, Hinata lashed out at the man beside her with the spear, and he quickly crumpled to the ground holding his stomach.

Before the man with the kamas could react, he felt the butt of the staff slam into his gut, and then saw it spin around and crack down on his neck, sending him sprawling atop of the other downed man. By this time, the shock had worn off the other four men, and each raised their weapons to strike or defend themselves against the formerly helpless duo.

"What the hell did you just do!" shouted the leader of the group, as he watched two of his men taken down by children, as if it was nothing. By this time, both of the children had assumed battle stances, Naruto with the staff in front of him and legs shoulder width apart. Hinata with her left leg and arm in front of her body, and her right leg slightly bent and arm slightly cocked to where her hand was even with her body.

"We are simple showing that not everything is as it looks. There is also the need for information about your compound, and a number of other questions we wish to ask you," calmly stated Hinata, as her pulse raced. She had knocked one man out already with a basic Juken strike to the abdomen, but could see the one Naruto had attacked was slowly losing his grip on life. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the slightly pained look on his face, and could tell he knew what he had done.

"You think you can take us on? You might be a monk and a shrine maiden, but that won't stop us from killing you! We were just supposed to rough you up, but since you want to fight back we can kick it up a notch," shouted the leader as he brought his mace crashing down towards Naruto.

Before the weapon could reach him, Naruto had already jumped back, and was already bringing the head of his staff around. Because of the weight of the mace, the man could not stop his attack. He was left open as the staff head sliced his arm with the outer ring. He quickly released his hold on the staff as he brought his wrist up and saw the thin cut made by the weapon. Snarling, the man reached behind his back to pull out two small crescent shaped hand axes that were hidden behind his back. The man with the katana quickly moved up beside him, and both watched for what Naruto would do next.

The men with the naginatas used this time to attack Hinata together, and watched in awe, as she seemed to dance around the deadly weapons. They jabbed, swept, and spun their weapons at her, but could never seem to land a solid blow on her. Even when they attacked from the front and back together, they could never touch her. She would move to attack them, but as she did the other, would attack, causing her to pull back and defend. So began the dance between the three combatants, each trying to strike the other, and for two of them, to kill the third.

Naruto quickly brought his staff up to block the dual axes from the leader. The shaft caught under the blades of the weapon, preventing both of them from moving any further then they were already.

The man with the katana saw his chance to come in and wound or kill the priest, and quickly unsheathed his sword and came at him with a diagonal slash, hoping to slice him in to from his right shoulder, to left leg. The weapon was about to connect when another staff suddenly appeared in his path, stopping his weapon, and jarring his teeth. He looked at what stopped him only to see another blonde monk in front of him with a cocky smile on his face.

"What the hell, you can't be a monk," shouted the man, and causing the boss to see what caused the exclamation. When he looked, he saw another small blonde monk guarding the first one's back. It did not take him long to figure out what he was facing, and quickly caused him to pull back on his weapons with as much force he could muster.

The effort paid off, as it threw the monk off balance, and caused him to stumble forward, allowing the man to send a solid kick into his ribs, followed by a knee to the head. The attacks sent the boy tumbling to the ground in a daze, and allowed the man to resume his attack on the second monk. When his axes came down and cut into the back of the second monk, he was greeted with a face full of smoke, and stumbled around until it cleared.

By this time, Naruto was back on his feet, and rubbing his chin, where the knee had struck him. He leveled his eyes at the men in front of him, and smiled, as the one with the axes seemed a little more on edge now.

"Damn it, he isn't a monk, and she probably isn't a priestess, they're Ninjas! Watch yourselves men, and don't underestimate them," shouted the leader as he and the katana wielding man circled Naruto.

"I see you noticed, and since you have I can't let you leave here, at least not while I still have a mission to complete," added Naruto in a deadly tone. He turned to where his body was facing neither man, and would allow him a chance to defend from either one of them.

Hinata was having an equally hard time now that the men knew what she was. She had quickly decided to activate her **Byakugan**, and try to incapacitate the men before things got out of hand. Once again, in a basic starting stance for the Juken, she watched both men, and the fight on the other end of the small abandoned street, hoping everything would be fine. With a smile on her face, she made a small motion with her front hand, asking the man to come forward with his attack.

The man did not disappoint her either, as he screamed and charged forward while spinning his weapon above his head. The man behind her quickly followed his lead, and brought his swinging down towards her neck. The girl quickly leaned forward, just enough to avoid the weapon, and brought a hand up to parry the weapon from the man in front of her. The man behind tried to thrust the butt of his weapon into her back, but she side steeped it, and lashed out at the man's hand, sending a small wave of chakra into it. While the attack did not cause any permanent damage, it did cause the man to drop the weapon from the sudden pain he felt.

This little break allowed her to focus on one opponent, as the second was rubbing his hand, and try to bring feeling back into it. She narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her, then charged forward, side stepping and parrying a thrust from the business end of the weapon, and raced up to the man. Once in front of him, she delivered a palm strike to the man's stomach, once again sending a pulse of chakra into another man, and rendering him unconscious from the blow.

She watched as he started to collapse atop of her, and quickly disengaged herself to turn, and face the second man, only to see him starting to retrieve his weapon. Channeling chakra to her feet, she charged the man. He looked up as she charged, and quickly brought his weapon up, and thrust at her. She parried once again, brought her second hand down incased in chakra, and destroy the shaft of the weapon, leaving the man stunned at the display of strength.

He was still stunned when he felt Hinata move around behind him, and before he could react, she had already used her index and middle fingers of her right hand to hit a point in his neck. When she hit the point, the man collapsed down to the ground with a heavy sigh. The girl smiled at being able to strike the small pressure point that brought about sleep, and quickly tied the men up, and moved to do the same with the first man she had knocked out that day. After ensuring they were secured, and disarming them, she turned to see the fight between Naruto and the other two men.

Naruto looked to be hard pressed against the two men. He knew he should be able to handle them easily, but it felt like something was restraining him, and he knew the only thing that could hold him back, Kyubi.

The demon had seemed to wake from its slumber on a full moon one night, and had continued to do so every full moon since then. It would ram against the cage, and fight with Naruto's mind, even while he was in the real world. During the time that the moon was full it would do everything in its power to make his life hell, and one of those things happened to be restraining the flow of Naruto's chakra.

The Sandaime had figured that the seal placed on him, which normally allowed the Kyubi's chakra to slowly seep into his own, and allow him to absorb it, had a flaw in its design. The seal would allow the Kyubi to flow the flow of his chakra by trying to withhold it from the seal. It ended up costing the demon more energy in the end, but in times like this, it was well worth it to the Kyubi. By slowly the flow of the energy down, the demon caused Naruto to be more sluggish in his movements, and pushing more chakra to his limbs never helped the situation any. That is why he normally avoided doing any fighting during those times, as it could cost him his life, as it was doing now.

Naruto ducked a slow swing from the katana, and rolled away from his opponents. He sat there, crouched, with his staff in front of him, and observed the other two men. The other men were breathing heavily, and were as bloodied as he himself was. He was out of breath as well, from the strain his body was going through. He knew that he would have to end this quickly, or else he may be the one who is on the ground staring into the sky. Sighing to himself, he used his staff to help him rise to his feet. Once up, he looked at the two in front of him with a serious look on his face.

"I would love to play longer, but I need to end this now. I hope you will excuse me for not enjoying this more, but I never wanted to kill your friend, or you. I am how ever left with very little options left to me. You know I am a ninja, and would likely report back to your boss, I can not let that happen," spoke Naruto as he jabbed the butt of his staff into the ground. He released the staff, and raised both hands in front of his body in a familiar cross-shaped seal, and with his eyes closed, and sweat rolling down his face, he whispered the name of the jutsu.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,**" and with that, a large cloud of smoke billowed into existence, and blocked the boy from sight. When the smoke cleared, there was no longer a single blonde monk, but seven of them. One of them was panting heavily, as he used his staff for support.

'_Stupid Fox, you want me to die don't you. I got news for you; I am not going to die any time soon. You want to make my life hell, well get in line. It has been like that since you were put in me. So do your worst you damn rug!'_ mentally shouted Naruto as his clones charged forward. If Naruto had paid closer attention to his mental rant, he might have heard a deep dark laugh in the darker parts of his mind.

The clones caught the two men by surprised, and each of them quickly brought their weapons up to hold back the small army. The man with the katana quickly brought his weapon down, and sliced one of the clones in half, blinding himself temporarily. One of the two other clones who attacked him brought its staff around and delivered a crushing blow to his stomach. The second one followed up by using its staff to sweep the legs out from under the man, and knocking him down. The first finished the attack by ramming the butt of the staff down onto the man's throat, crushing his esophagus, and caused the man to start wheezing. Both clones watched as the man slowing started to choke on his own blood, and the life finally left his eyes. Bowing their heads in respect, they vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The other three clones were having a harder time then the first set. The man may have been a klutz and an amateur with his mace, but was very skilled with his two axes. He had already destroyed one of the clones, and was about to finish off a second clone with an overhead strike. The third clone quickly placed the staff in the path of the blow, and had its teeth jarred by the impact. Before it could regain its senses, the man sent a kick into its gut, and sent it flying back trailing smoke.

The second clone stood at the ready, and waited for the man's next move. The axe wielder could only smile in delight, and wonder why he had been so scared of these little ninjas. The blonde one seemed to be the weaker of the two, and looked about ready to fall over dead any second now. He might know a few useful techniques, but they seemed to take a heavy toll on him.

Naruto watched as his clones did battle, and could feel the regret his first batch felt upon killing the man they fought. He hung his head, hiding his eyes from sight as he thought about what to do next. In his Kyubi weakened state, he was no better then an academy student with some training in weapons. He was nearly out of chakra, and could not help but curse the Kyubi. If it did not fight like this, he would not have to use so much extra chakra in his techniques. His last clone would be destroyed in a matter of seconds, and he still was not sure how Hinata had done in her fight. He could not hear the sound of battle form where she was, and he was not attacked by any of the other thugs, so he took that as a good sign. She was probably securing her opponents, and disarming them. After that, she would treat her own injuries, and only interfere if his life was in trouble.

He looked up as the man started to charge the final clone, and knew he only had one chance of beating the man right then. So closing his eyes, he started to focus the last bit of his chakra into the clone, causing the imitation of himself to smile and nod in understanding as it rushed the man.

Axe met staff as the weapons clashed, and the two danced away from each other. Sparks flew, and grunts were heard coming from the two. The clone bent backwards to avoid the swipe at its chest, and rolled backwards onto his feet. Finally, he felt the technique complete itself, and stood there, leaving its chest open for the final attack of the axe wielder.

The man brought his axes down with all the strength he could muster. He felt it rip into the monk, and then felt something strange. While the other clones had erupted into clouds of smoke, this one stayed solid and smiled at the man.

"What's so funny monk, I just finished you of, and your master is next. I wouldn't be smiling if I was you," jabbed the man as he pushed down harder on his weapons.

"Two words for you, **Bunshin Daibakuha**," whispered the clone as its body started to glow, and it wrapped its arms around the man's hands.

The man started to struggle to free himself, but could not break free of the vice like grip the clone now had. With a finally shout, the clone exploded, and kicked up dust and dirt, sending bricks and wood flying around.

Slowly the smoke cleared, and where the clone once stood was a small hole, five feet wide, and a foot deep. The thug was now in one of the abandoned houses along this street, and was lying atop of the rumble from the wall. The explosion had sent the man flying away from the epicenter, burnt and broken, and finally sent him crashing into the wall, which broke under the force of the blow. The man was now nothing but blood soaked rags, and was clearly dead upon impact with the wall.

Naruto smiled sadly, as he looked at his handy work, and started to look around frantically for Hinata. He stopped as he saw her looking at him, the sadness in her eyes easily reflecting his own. He could see the three men she had fought, and tied up were still obviously alive and breathing. The three he had fought would walk no more, and caused him to start to choke on his breakfast as it made its way back up. He doubled over as he emptied his stomach, and nearly fell face first into his own vomit.

He was caught by someone from behind, and tensed when the hands caught his shoulders. Slowly turning his head to face who caught him he saw the face of Shikamaru, who looked like he imagine everyone else was at the time. He saw Shikamaru's lips move, but never heard any sound come out. He looked over to Hinata, and saw her nod as she started to load the tied up men into an abandoned wagon. Once the three were in the wagon, Shikamaru set him down by the wheels, and moved to Hinata. With her help, he dragged the three bodies away, and did not return for what felt like hours to Naruto.

Naruto sat beside the wagon, and continued to relive the events of the fight in his mind. He could see the fear of the man that had his life end with an explosion. Remembering the feel of his staff as a clone used it to crush a man's throat. Hearing the crack and ring of the staff as he brought it down on the first man's neck, breaking it effortlessly, and then the sound as the man chocked on his own blood. All of his training had paid off for him, but none of it could help him deal with taking the life of another person. That was when he started to cry.

He did not know how long he sat there like that, but he was shaken out of it when he felt a pair of hands pull him up, and place them on their shoulders. He looked down from his perch, and saw Hinata walking next to him; her clothes cut up from her fight, and dirtied from what she had done away from Naruto's gaze. There did not seem to be any cuts on her, showing how well she dodged. The only real damage was done to her clothes, which would have to be replaced when they reached the house.

Behind him, he could see Shikamaru pulling along the wagon with the three men tied up and gagged. None of them moved, with the exception of their slow breathing. Shikamaru looked dirty as well, his hands, arms, knees, and legs were covered in dirt. It looked like he was digging around, or buried something. It clicked then to Naruto, as he remembered seeing them drag the bodies away from the battlegrounds.

'_They buried the bodies… Even though they were our enemies, they do deserve some respect in death. Thank you Shikamaru, Hinata'_ thought Naruto as he looked down.

When he looked down, he noticed who was holding him, her black hair down around her shoulders, and still in what could be considered her disguise, Anko. He smiled, as he knew she was the one who was holding him, and in a way, he was in a sloppy hug. As these thoughts went through his mind, exhaustion started to take its toll on him, and sleep pulled him away.

"Don't say anything to Team 7 when we get back to the house. Hinata, you stay with Naruto, and keep an eye on him. I want to know when he wakes up, that way I can talk to him about what happened. Shikamaru, you will come with me while I question these idiots about Gatoh's compound," calmly stated Anko, hoping to keep the other two calm as well, and not worried about Naruto's health. As she looked around at the other two, she could se they still did not believe her words.

"Don't worry; I'm sure he will be fine. We just have to make him comfortable, and let him rest. After tonight, he should be back to normal, or so I hope. Just don't say anything to Tazuna or his family, I don't want them to worry over something like this," Anko finished as she looked to her other two Genin. Both of them nodded to her, and silently continued down the road.

* * *

**Unknown location in Wave Country**

A figure dressed in a light pink kimono walked down the wooden halls of the large building resting in the trees. The figure in pink gracefully walked down the halls of the building, and finally stopped outside of a door. A small pale hand reached up and knocked gently on the door before walking in. Around the building was nothing but mist, and the only way to get inside was a single walkway at the base of the structure.

The structure itself was up in the trees, and looked very similar to that of a butterfly cocoon, with threads from the wood sticking out into the air for the world to see. It had an ominous feeling to it, almost as if you would tempt death just by approaching the place.

Inside of the room were two men, both men had bushy brown hair which hid their eyes from view. They looked the same, with the exception that one of the men was slightly older and taller then the other man. Both men wore a black skintight suit, designed for their specialty of hiding and attacking from water. Beside each of their beds were the breathing masks both men would wear when doing battle.

Right now though, they were more concerned with healing up, and being of use in the next battle with Konoha Squad 7.

"I can't believe that stupid fat ass was able to do this much damage to us Brother," started the youngest one, and ended as the oldest brother started to speak, "it is almost as if he crushed our entire body with that one punch. We underestimated the boy and his strength."

"Yes, but we were also lucky to avoid the technique of the dark haired one. If we were hit by that," spoke the younger brother, and once again, the older one finished for him, "we would have been barbequed for sure. Thankfully though, the fat one saved us with that punch."

"Would you two kindly be quiet, I need to check your bandages, and make sure the bones have set correctly. After that, Zabuza-sama would like you to come to his room. It seems he has a plan on how to deal with the _Kopi Ninja_, and would like to go over it with you," spoke the figure, whose voice identified it as a female. At the sound of the voice, both of the men froze, and quit bickering and debating who would kill the fat Genin who rolled over them.

"Of course Haku-chan, you must excuse us though," spoke the older brother.

"We did not hear you come in, we were debating who," added the younger one.

"Would get to kill the Akimichi that accompanies the _Kopi Ninja_." finished the older one. Both of the men smiled innocently at the figure in front of them, knowing what they were doing would anger her. To them though it was like picking on a little sister, albeit one who can freeze you and castrate you all at the same time.

The girl did not respond, and only went about checking on both men. They had numerous fractures in their ribs when she had come across them two days ago. Now it seemed as if they were never injured, with the small exception of the ribs being slightly bruised now. She had found it funny that when she found them tied to a tree, and all they could talk about was a "meat tank" coming after them. She had thought they were crazed from a Genjutsu, or whatever torture they were put through, and had quickly given them a sedative to calm them down. When they awoke the next day, and told her what happened, she could not help but laugh at the men.

Sadly, after that, she had to inform them of what had happened between Zabuza and Kakashi. They did not take the news well, and wanted to check on Zabuza's health. They would have done just that if ice had not formed around their bodies, and held them down in bed.

The girl sighed as she finished her check up, and allowed them to stand, and place their breathing masks, and face masks on. They quickly followed her out of the room, and to a larger one down the hall. None of them bothered to knock, knowing the occupant was restricted to bed rest for the next few days.

"Zabuza-sama, I have brought the _Onikyodai_ as you requested. If you would like I can begin on how to defeat the **Sharingan**," asked the girl as she looked to the figure on the bed.

The man known as Momochi Zabuza, feared in three different countries, as the _Kiri Gakure no Kijin_ had never felt this helpless before. He could barely move his legs and arms, and was finally getting feeling back into the rest of his body. Some of his most distinguishing features were the fact he had no eyebrows, and his short spiky black hair. He had piercing black eyes, and normally held an angered expression on his face. Now though, he seemed oddly calm as he looked at the people who he considered family.

With a strained nod of his head, he started to speak to the young girl in front of him, "By all means Haku, tell them the plan, I still need to rest before I can do any thing else," whispered the man as he looked at the girl known as Haku. He felt his blood run cold as she glared at him, and he knew he was in for it now.

"I told you not to remove those needles like you did, but you hardly listen to me when it concerns medicine, unless you need healing like now," growled out the girl as she spun away from him and sat across the room. She could hear the brothers' chuckle at her temper, and they laughed more when Zabuza glared at them, pleading with them to stop before they angered her more.

The girl sighed, and then cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, "It would seem that in order for the **Sharingan **to be effective in battle, he must have eye contact with the person. When the user and victim lock eyes, it allows the user to place their victim in a hypnotic state, where they can slightly alter the perception of their opponent. This is seen when Kakashi used a flare of his chakra to clear away the mist, which allowed him to see you. The best option when fighting him again would be to create a thicker mist, and battle how you are used to. That way he does not get a chance to flare his chakra, and with all four of us, I think we should be able to handle them easily. I fear though, that our brothers will be too distracted with the large one, and extracting revenge on him," added Haku as she jabbed at the egos of the brothers.

Each of them glared at the girl, and the glares only intensified as she brought one of her small hands up to cover her lips as she laughed. Her raven black hair cascaded down to cover her face, and the gentle sounds of her giggles could be heard.

"Of course, we can not speak of Zabuza-sama's defeat either. Not even his **Mizu Bunshin** could stand up to the large one rolling on them. Then the shuriken and kunai attack from the other two Genin forced him to release the _Kopi Ninja_ from the **Suiro no Jutsu** (Water Prison Technique). Of course, if he did not dodge the weapon storm, the large one running into him would have forced him to drop it. I believe that his weakness is fairly obvious, do not stand in one place or be held down and you should be fine," added Haku as she started to giggle again at the scowl on Zabuza's face. The brothers quickly join in on the laughter at the expense of their leader, father, and older brother.

As suddenly as Haku started to laugh, she stopped and turned towards the entrance to the bedroom, and held several senbon in her hands. The _Onikyodai _quickly followed her actions, except with kunai held in front of them.

Without any knock, or acknowledgement of respect, the door was thrown open by two samurai. Behind them was a short man in his late forties, maybe early fifties, and in a black suit. He walked with a black cane with a gold knob in his hand, and had an air of superiority around him. As he walked in, he locked eyes with Zabuza, and sneered at the man who failed his job.

"My my, it seems the little demon is nothing but a whipped dog. I thought you could handle Tazuna with out any problems, and yet here I see you lying in bed. Your weakling partners nursing you like a baby, now all you need to complete the picture is a bottle, and a bib," shouted the short man as he walked towards the bed.

He was nearly next to the bed when the _Onikyodai_ jumped in his way, kunai held to his throat, "We suggest that you remember your place, and whose home you are in," whispered the younger brother, "Yes, and do remember that we only work for you until your usefulness has ended," added the eldest brother in an icy tone.

As the brothers moved in front of Gatoh, the two samurai charged forward to attack the insolent brothers. They would have done just that, but there was just a minor problem. Their own katanas were now being held to their necks by the figure in pink. She held her head down, preventing them from seeing her face, and growled out to them in a boyish voice, "Take another step and you will be a head shorter. We know our job, and we will complete it before the bridge is built. Now you leave this to the real fighters, and go hide back in your safe compound."

The two samurai, Waraji and Zori, looked down at the head of the person holding their swords right next to their throats. Neither of the men wanted to move, out of fear of losing their heads. Slowly though, they noticed the swords being withdrawn, and then just as fast as they arrived, they were placed back into sheathes. The figure then turned and walked away from them, but neither man dared to attack the person.

The brothers blocking Gatoh shoved the man back, and watched as he scrambled off the floor, and ran behind his two bodyguards. Gatoh started to walk out but not before, he turned back to the group of Kiri-nins.

"Make no mistake Zabuza; if you fail again, then the deal is null and void. You already failed twice, and came back with your tail between your legs. Maybe the third time you won't be coming back at all," yelled out the man, who quickly ran out to avoid the weapons sent his way.

"Haku, Gozu, and Meizu you didn't have to do that, I could have handled him myself. I had to admit it though, he is right. We cannot fail a third time. When we attack, we will wipe them all out, and leave no one standing. Remember one thing, no matter what happens, Hatake Kakashi is mine," was all they heard from Zabuza before he drifted off to sleep. The others in the room silently left, and walked down to what could be considered the living room of the place.

"I will head into the village and see what herbs I can buy and gather to help speed up your recovery. If all goes well, you should all be ready to fight by the end of the week," the brothers looked at each other and nodded to Haku.

* * *

**Dream world**

_Sakura, Sasuke, and Choji were gathered around Kakashi, and listening in to what he had to say. Choji did not seem to be paying too much attention to what was being said, but acted like it any ways. Sakura was on the edge of her seat, waiting to hear what her Sensei had to say. She would occasionally throw glances at Sasuke, and then more timid ones at Anko, who was at the door leading to the room._

_As Naruto watched from above them, he could see their lips moving, but never heard a word that was spoken by the people present. He could tell Sakura and Sasuke did not seem too pleased with what was being said, and he could not help but notice the concealed smirk on the face of Choji as things continued._

_The talk seemed to end as suddenly as it started, and soon he saw the members of Team 7 walking out of the room, leaving behind a smirking Anko, and a disgruntled Kakashi. The two seemed to be exchanging words, and neither of the two seemed to be pleased about the exchange. After several minutes of watching them talk, they both grew silent as Hinata came into the room and sat by his bed. _

_Naruto could see tears in the corners of her pearly white eyes and his heart wretched as he watched them fall down onto the sheets of his futon. He hated causing other people pain, and making them cry; the person in question being Hinata seemed to hurt him even more for some reason._

'Why does it feel like my heart is being squeezed by Choji? Why does it hurt so much to see her crying like this,' _thought Naruto as he saw her mouthing something, but he was still unable to hear. He tried to talk to Hinata, and assure her he was fine, but nothing would come from his mouth. Depressed, he continued to watch and think over this strange feeling, hoping he could ask Anko when he got the chance._

_He saw Inari come into the room with an array of emotions playing across his face and eyes. There was sadness, evident by the tears and the sobs the boy was trying hard to fight back. Anger was there as well, mostly evident by the fists at the boy's side, clenching and shaking with his feelings. There was one though that stuck out to Naruto the most, and it could be seen within the depths of Inari's eyes, hopelessness. _

_The boy seemed to have lost the hope he had shown Naruto and Hinata the day before, and looked to be back to what Tazuna described as the old Inari. Once again, he felt a pain in his heart as he saw Inari shouting out, causing Hinata to flinch and tense up by his side._

_He watched as Inari ran over, and fell beside his bed crying, and hitting Naruto in the chest with his tiny fists. His tears were freely falling now, and he was easily shaking with his anger and sadness._

_Hinata moved quickly to restrain Inari and he could see the once timid girl shouting out. He watched as she pulled him into a hug from behind, and held him. Now both seemed to be crying over him, the tears mingling now on his arm that sat uncovered. _

_He watched as Hinata slowly turned him around, and held him on her lap. When they were facing she started to rock Inari back and forth, her lips moving softly, almost as if she was singing a song to soothe the nerves of both of them._

_In the short time it took for Tsunami to come up to the room, Inari was already sleeping in the lap of Hinata. The older woman wasted little time in lifting the boy up, and bowing and what looked like an apology to the younger girl._

_The entire time Kakashi was in his bed, watching the scene, never once lifting a hand, or opening his mouth to say anything. It looked as if he was studying the actions of everyone in the room, and refused to be disturbed from his observations. He visibly flinched when the Hyuga locked eyes with him, and quickly jerked his head away, suddenly finding the wall of his other side very interesting._

The scene Naruto was looking at suddenly changed, and as it did he could see the landscape moving underneath him.

_Naruto watched as he moved deeper into the mist surrounding the trees. He had a hard time making anything out, except for what would be right in front of him. Slowly, a large structure came into his line of sight, and he slowly moved into it. As he went inside, if felt as if he was walking through walls, and finally settled in a bare room, with only a changing screen and several kimonos laying around it. His attention suddenly shifted to the entrance to the room as the door opened._

_She had midnight black hair, with the back done up into a single bun, with two bangs that framed her face. The hair look to be as smooth as silk, and the color was a stark contrast to her ivory colored skin. Her eyes were charcoal black, but still held a sparkle of amusement and happiness deep inside of them. The thin red pale rose-colored lips were also quickly inspected as he watched her move into the room._

_She wore a pale blue kimono; the lower half was covered in dark blue sea serpents that danced around, almost as if they were gliding along in the waters of the ocean. As the fabric moved further up, the colors slowly darkened until they resembled a night sky wrapped around the upper portion of the girl. This part of the fine clothing had white specks that seemed to twinkle as she moved, giving off the impression of the stars in the night sky._

_Naruto watched as she moved to the screen in the room, and as she moved closer to it, she started to remove the sash that held her kimono closed. As soon as he saw this, he tried to turn away, trying to respect the girl's privacy as best as he could in the situation. Try as he might, he could not shift his line of sight anywhere else, and just as she started to open the kimono and walk behind the screen everything went black for the boy.

* * *

_

**Tazuna's House**

It was the morning of the third day Naruto was unconscious, and once again, Hinata was in there watching over Naruto. Kakashi had not dared to try to read his book while she was in there, afraid it might make its way back to her father. Therefore, he had spent the last two days just watching the two, and wishing the girl would leave more often so he could read. With nothing else to do, he decided to try to spark up another conversation with the girl.

"Um, excuse me Hyuga-san, I don't know much about you, and your team except for what I hear, perhaps we could talk to get to know each other better," asked Kakashi, and flinched inwardly as the girl turned to glare at him.

'_Damn, Hyugas have the best glares possible with those eyes.'_ thought Kakashi as her face softened, but not by much.

"I will not tell you anything about my team mates, except what is public knowledge," answered the girl as she turned her back to the man again. It shocked Kakashi that she would act this way, which contradicted everything the files on her from the Academy said about her. Then again, she did best Sakura in the first fight out of the Academy. She had also been under Anko's supervision for nearly six weeks now. If that did not change a person, nothing would.

"Yes, well, I just had a few questions. I have watched you the past two days, and it seems you like him, perhaps more then a teammate does, and more so then your records stated. I was wondering why you would be attracted to a boy like him, when you could have your pick of them. You are next in line to be the Hyuga Clan Head, so why demean yourself," slowly asked the man, keeping his eyes on both of them. He started to regret the last words that flowed from his mouth when she turned to face him.

Hinata turned to face the man, keeping one of Naruto's hands in her own. Her pearl like eyes locked onto the man, and he could feel the deadly aura that now surrounded her. She was pissed, and he could guess why. Slowly though the aura faded as she looked him over, and smiled softly as she remembered what caused her to like him.

"When I first saw Naruto-kun, we were at the park by the Academy. He was sitting in the swing that over looked the park, and was just watching everyone play. I watched him swinging by himself, and he seemed so lonely. Then one of the children from the park went running up to Naruto-kun, and pushed him out of the swing, and down the little hill. The boy quickly ran back to his mother and was telling her, "I did what you wanted Kaa-san. Did you see me?", and she smiled and patted the boy on his head. She told him that he did a good job, and walked off with the boy to get ice cream.

"None of the parents or anyone went to check on Naruto-kun, and he sat there at the bottom of the hill crying softly. Then he got up and turned to look back at the park, and that was when I first saw his eyes. They were a shocking gorgeous blue, and so filled with sadness. He turned and started to walk away from the park, and I watched him go. The next time I saw him was our first day in the Academy, and I knew who he was by the whisker marks on his cheeks, and the blue eyes," Hinata stopped as he started to move strands of Naruto's hair out of his face, and then turned back to look at Kakashi.

He could see the sadness in her eyes now, and the unshed tears starting to build up. He could not help but wonder why someone who knew about the demon would cry for it. He quickly shook those thoughts from his head as he noticed that Hinata was starting to talk again. One thing he noticed though was that her voice sounded sad, and yet held a hint of admiration and respect for the person she was describing to him.

"Naruto-kun was laughed at in the Academy when he showed up in clothes that were too big for him. Instead of being sad, he just smiled and laughed it off. The teachers would laugh and make fun of him too. There was one teacher who took all of his books one day, and destroyed them, saying that he should not even be in the Academy, he should be dead. This was during our recess, so no one else heard or knew what happened. I only know because I had started to watch him then, but I never knew why. I was just drawn to him; something about him had me mesmerized even then.

"I would watch him practice in the Academy training yard, throwing kunai and shuriken, and it was sloppy at first. Then finally, when we were eight or nine, he started to get better at it, until finally it seemed like he had perfect aim. Yet when we were in class, he never showed how good he was. He would always smile, and laugh it off, no matter what happened. When he was alone though, or when he thought no one was looking, I could see the sadness in his eyes. It was like there were two different people inside of him, one who was bright and cheerful, and the other his true self. Despite what many people saw of Naruto-kun, he was really a hurt boy deep inside. One who was smarter and stronger then anyone else would believe. He hid this version of himself for the next four years in the Academy. He kept up a disguise that fooled everyone around him, truly he is a master of the Shinobi art of deception," whispered Hinata, as she gave Naruto's hand a squeeze. By this time, she was already facing away from Kakashi, and he could see her move stray strands of hair out of the boy's face.

Kakashi sat there thinking about the words the girl said, and thought back to his own experiences with the boy. None of what he had seen from back in the Academy days matched up with how the boy acted now, and supported her claim of him being two different people. His past dealings with Ibiki also helped to support these claims.

'_Ibiki once told me that sometimes a person will construct an alternative personality to help protect them from situations. Some become emotionless shells while they kill people, but deep inside they feel the pain and hate themselves for what the have become. It seems that in Naruto's case that he made a new him, one that he designed to fool us all, and block out all of the hateful looks and words. He acted the fool, and did it perfectly. He kept his true self, the skilled one, and the one hurt by the words and happenings of the village locked away inside. I suppose that is the only reason he has not gone nuts and destroyed the place. If what Ibiki always told me is true, then the boy hid his emotions so they couldn't be used against him, and he became accustomed to hiding them, which may have been his saving grace.'_

Kakashi was pulled from his thoughts as Hinata turned to him, and locked her eyes with his single visible one. He knew something was going to be said that he might want to listen to, and he planned to do just that. If anything, he would be able to learn more about the enigma known as Naruto. He listened as she started to speak, her voice just loud enough for him to hear.

"Kakashi-san, I was there when Naruto-kun first found out about the demon in him. He was devastated, and could hardly believe it. He was hurt even more when he found out that the demon killed Iruka-sensei's parents. Iruka-sensei even took a fuhma shuriken in the back to protect Naruto-kun, and told him how he truly felt. He said that he hated Naruto-kun at first, but after seeing him every day, and interacting with him, he was able to tell that he was not a demon, just the container. Mizuki-sensei went to attack them again, and neither of them could see or do anything about it, so I ran out from where I was hiding to try to protect them. When I did, Mizuki-sensei said he would kill us all, and take my eyes to Lightning Country.

"Naruto-kun grew angry then, and threw Iruka-sensei off of him, and let the next fuhma shuriken strike him in his arm. He did that to protect Iruka-sensei and I, and then used the skills he gained from being tricked by Mizuki-sensei to make him pay for his actions. After that, he thought he was a monster, and that we hated him. He started to break down and cry right there in front of us. I had never seen him cry openly like that, nor had Iruka-sensei, so it shocked both of us. That is when we both talked to him, and told him what we felt, and how he wasn't a monster," whispered the girl while looking into his eye. Tears seemed to be forming again, and a few were leaking down the sides of her pale face. It was obvious that recalling those memories stirred something inside of her.

"After that day he showed the person he truly was. He was a lonely boy who looked to be accepted by those around him. A boy who aged faster then others around him because of the life he was given, and the hate the villagers threw at him. He lived by himself, and barely had anything to his name in his shabby apartment. His home was full of holes, and not even rats or roaches would live there. Despite all of that, and the way people treated him, he continued to be kind and gentle. He only hated those who treated him badly, or talked bad about those he holds precious to him. He hates to see people treated the way he was, and to see people losing all hope for life. He would give his own life to protect people, and to give them hope, and he plans to do everything he can for this country.

"A country full of people he never knew until a few days ago, and already he wants to make their life better. He did just that when we arrived, he told them of his life, but never mentioned names or places. The people were visibly upset at the way the boy in the story was treated, and happy to see when the boy received some light in his life," she paused as she looked at him, judging what affect her words were having on him.

Kakashi was soaking in everything he could, and filing things away for future musing. The information he was getting was better then anything he could get from anyone else and it was enlightening as well. He was slowly starting to see the boy in a new light, one he had never thought he would be placed in.

All he had seen from the boy did contradict everything he felt about the boy. He never did anything out of anger, and when he did, it was when the person deserved the words or the action done or said to them; he should know, he had been at the pointed end of some of those actions. It was amazing that Naruto could stand up to the constant insults, degradation, and vandalism, and still be as sane as he appeared to be. He quickly turned his attention back to Hinata as she started to talk.

"Naruto-kun didn't show it to anyone else, but when he saw how accepting the people were from this village, it hurt him. Perfect strangers were willing to see him as a Hero, people who only heard of him described vaguely through a story. Yet his own village wishes him dead every day of the week, and have done so since the day he was given this burden. I think that if he could, Naruto-kun would gladly move here, and protect these people with his life. They would deserve it, unlike our own village, and Shika-kun, Anko-sensei, Choji-kun and I would gladly follow him. Choji-kun does not know about the demon within, but he still accepts Naruto-kun for who he is. If only our own village could do it, then Naruto-kun could live happily."

Hinata stopped what she was saying as she felt Naruto squeeze her hand. She looked down at him to see his bright blue eyes looking up at her, and a smile on his face. His smile slipped a little when he saw Kakashi looking over at him, but decided not to let it faze him. Before he could say a word, Hinata was up and out of the room.

In her haste, she never noticed Inari standing pressed to the wall, and narrowly missing being run over by her. If she did see him, she might have seen the tears forming in his eyes as he ran to his room and closed the door. As he did, he left a trail that quickly soaked into the panel flooring, and took any trace of his presence with them.

In the room, Naruto and Kakashi were just looking at each other, neither one of them wanting to say a thing to the other one.

Kakashi was still thinking over everything he had just heard, and slowly starting to change his perspective on the boy beside him. His view was not going to change drastically, after all, he had twelve years of memories to go through and reevaluate his opinion. He knew though that in the end things was likely going to be different then when they first meet. How different he could not tell just yet.

At first Naruto was wondering why Hinata had run off like that, and with out a word to him. Then he thought back to what caused his current state of affairs. Thinking about the fight made him remember the three men he had killed, two of them without any hesitation, and one of them out of desperation. That led him down a darker thought process, and had him wondering if she left him because he was a killer now.

Both males were still deep in their thoughts when Anko came into the room, with Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji trailing behind her. Before the three Genin could enter the room though, she turned to them, and made them wait outside, saying, "I need to speak with Naruto privately, the only reason Kakashi is going to be in there is because he might be able to help. Not to mention I don't feel like moving around his lazy ass right now, or waiting for him to leave," then closed the door on them and made her way to Naruto.

"Naruto, I think we need to talk about what happened two days ago," started Anko as she sat down beside his futon, and watched him start to sit up. She looked him in the eyes and started to speak again, "I heard about what happened in the fight you and Hinata had, and I want to know how you feel about it."

Naruto dropped his smile, and hung his head as his mind flashed back to the fight. He could remember how easy it was for him to kill the first two men. The third one was desperation because he could not let the man leave knowing they were Shinobi, and at the same time, he was not going to be able to knock him out in his current condition.

"Sensei… I… I killed those m-men so e-easily. I can s-still feel the way my staff shook, and the sound of the first man's neck cracking… I c-can see the look of f-fear in the second one's eyes as I crushed his esophagus, and w-watched as he choked on h-his own blood… My clones killed the man, but I still get their memories when they d-disperse… I can still s-see the life draining from his eyes, and hear him g gurgling… The third man… I can still see the fear from when he re-realized he was about to die at the hands of my clone," choked out Naruto, as he tried to fight back tears.

Kakashi's visible eye widened at what he just heard, since he never did know the entire story on why the boy was in bed to begin with. Still, there had to be more to the story then what the boy was telling them right now.

"Normally I could have easily knocked them out… The f-first one though was just done b-by instinct based on t-the t-training we went through. The second one… There shouldn't have been any reason to kill him. I mean they knew we were Ninjas, but I could have just knocked him out once he was on the ground. I didn't though, I could feel my chakra slowly draining away, fighting the Kyubi, and trying to keep it within the seal.

"The third one… I did the only thing I could think of to end the fight, and that was using the **Bunshin Daibakuha, **and w-when I did my clone saw his eyes before it e-exploded… He was afraid, and k-knew his life was about to end… T-then when I saw w-what happened to him I was sick to my stomach…"

Anko by now was sitting beside the boy, and had pulled him into a loose hug while he told his story. He was still choked up about it, and was starting to cry freely now. When he buried his head in her shoulder, she shot a look to Kakashi. The look seemed to be asking him, _'Does this look like any demon you've ever seen?'_, and he could not help but understand what others saw in the boy.

"Naruto, I need you to listen to me, this is very important, understand," asked Anko, and seeing him nod, she continued, "You did kill three people, and it is a serious matter, but you need to understand this is what we have been training for. Since you entered the Academy, this is what you trained to do, but it does not mean that you are a bad person. What you did was not wrong, and was sadly needed. If you didn't do that to them, then they could have killed you, Hinata-chan, Shikamaru, Tsunami, Inari, Tazuna, Sakura, Choji, Sasuke, Kakashi, and even me. It might not have been right away, but if they knew there were more Ninjas here then just Kakashi's team, then they could have brought the entire group down to the village," soothed Anko as she rubbed his back.

"Naruto, you remember what we heard about Gatoh and his men right? What did they do to women and children who got in their way? What do you think they would have done if Gatoh found out about more Ninja? What would have happened to Hinata, Tsunami, Sakura, Inari and me? They would have done something terrible to us, and then probably made an example out of us as they did Kaiza. If we were lucky, we would be killed out right, but if we were not lucky, we would be made into their playthings. The men you killed were not good men, they worked for a bad man, and they were bad men who would have done anything for money. They deserved what ever was done to them. The fact that you are sitting here feeling bad about it shows you are not a monster, or evil like the people in Konoha say. You are a kind person who does feel pain and remorse when you do something you perceive as bad," added Anko as Naruto started to stop shaking, and raised his head to look up at her. He was about to say something, but stopped when he heard Kakashi clearing his throat.

"Naruto, what Anko said is true. Sometimes it is required of us to kill someone in order to protect those we care for. The only thing that sets you apart from the ones you killed is the fact that you did it in order to protect, and not to deprive. The men you faced have likely deprived numerous people of their lives, that much can be said with certainty. You did take their lives away, but it was not for the same reason as they did countless times. You did it to protect someone precious to you, and would probably do it again if you had to. That is what sets you apart from them and other killers. You took no pleasure in their deaths; you mourned the loss of them, even if they do not deserve it. They took pleasure in killing people, and they would doubtlessly have taken pleasure in your death.

"I won't lie to you, some Shinobi kill for pleasure, while others only do it when needed. Those who kill for pleasure cannot be called human. They are monsters, and do not care about whom or what they kill. I think just listening to you talk right now and hearing what your friends have said about you, I can tell you are not a monster. You do not kill for sport or pleasure, you killed to protect, and you feel remorse for doing it, even though there was little else you could do. If anything else, I respect you for that, and I can see that many of my views on you need to be changed," added Kakashi as he started to choke on his own words. He hated saying them, but at the same time, his mind and body moved on their own. He could remember the first time he killed, and he was nearly half the age of the current Genin present. He remembered feeling the same way Naruto did, and could still hear the words of his sensei echoing through his mind each time he took the life of another person.

As if someone turned them off, Naruto's tears started to dry up. Instead of a look of sorrow, and remorse, he now held one of resolve. Kakashi and Anko both watched as he pushed himself up, and pulled one of his scrolls from his pouch. In a cloud of smoke, and rush of air, on the floor sat another dark gray suit, and monk robes. In addition, there were a pair of black bracers, and shin guards, along with a pair of straps made into a vest. The straps were connected to a belt that would go around his waist, and then go up and over his shoulders to connect in the front like a pair of suspenders.

Unlike the suit of Maito Gai and Rock Lee, this suit was skintight. There was also, what looked like metal armor on the stomach, chest, along the spine, knees, and elbows. The other difference is that it was not made of spandex, but another material, one that looked like it conformed to the body of the wearer.

"Naruto, what are you about to do," asked Anko as she eyed the equipment, recognizing some of it as what he called his battle gear. She flinched when she looked at the spandex suit, but could not help smiling as she noticed it was another dark gray one.

Naruto looked at her and Kakashi, his face still determined. A small smile started to form on his lips as he spoke, "I'm going to train, I'm a little behind. After that, I think we should plan our attack on Gatoh's compound. I am sure you got some useful information from the other three people. Besides, the villagers are probably worried about me, so I should walk around and let them see me again," and as he finished, he started to change into the suit and pull on the robes.

"There are also some things I need to sort out... Maybe we can talk later Sensei, and you could help me sort them out. Zabuza should be ready to fight soon, and that means we have to make our move tomorrow night," added the boy as he turned to leave the room. Naruto paused at the door, and turned to look at the adults within.

"I hate what I did, but now I know that sometimes it is needed. I don't plan to take another life except if the person deserves it, and right now, I can only think of one person, Gatoh. He uses people like pawns, and willing abuses them and this village. For that he cannot be forgiven, and he must answer for," growled out the boy as he started to shake with suppressed anger.

"Just remember this Naruto, when it becomes easy to kill, and you no longer feel anything from doing it, you have crossed the invisible line. When that happens, you become what you hate, and start to care less for the value of life. It is only then that you will ever disappoint those who care for you," lectured Anko as Naruto nodded and left the room.

Kakashi watched as the boy left, unsure of what to say to the reaction they just earned from him. Thankfully, Anko was able to put into words what he could not.

"Hm, the boy is changing every day. I think he knows that killing is expected of him on this mission now, and there is no way to avoid it. He understands now that killing to protect those close to him or those who are being oppressed is fine, to an extent. To kill and take joy in killing is not something he could ever do. If he did, he would only confirm what people have always said about him. I think he would take his own life should that ever happen," whispered Anko with her head down.

"He is different then what I expected him to be," added Kakashi as he started to pull out his book. "However, I wonder, why didn't Hinata help him? If she did he may not have ended up in this situation," asked Kakashi as he started to bury his nose in the book.

"It may seem like she didn't want to interfere, but as our team's medic, she has been told to ensure her own safety and well being in most situations. The only time she should act against that order is when the person is facing superior numbers, or in dire need of help. In this situation, Naruto was still able to fend off his attackers. Once he reduced the number to one, it only showed he did not need help right away. She took care of all of her own injuries, and then secured her three prisoners. The latter was done so that they would not interfere in the aftermath, and recuperation from the battle. Naruto may have over reacted by resorting to the **Bunshin Daibakuha**, but I won't tell him that right now; that can wait until we are back in Konoha," remarked Anko as she rolled up Naruto's futon and sheets. Once done she started towards the door, and paused as she looked to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, I'm only going to say this once. Thank you, thank you for talking with him, even if it was just a few words. Now we can only hope that Hinata and Shikamaru can make him feel better. If I know him like I do, he will likely spill his guts out to Hinata, and tell her everything. He always tries to be honest with her, his first true friend, and I think that is what she likes about him," muttered Anko as she left the room.

* * *

**Gatoh Compound**

"What do you mean the men never returned," shouted a nasally voice from deep inside of the compound. If one were to follow the sound of the voice, they would see a short man, waving a cane around in the air, and shouting at would be samurai.

"I mean that the six men we sent out never returned from dealing with the monk and priestess. Since that day, the villagers have seen the priestess, but not the monk. If we took this at face value, it could mean that the monk was killed during the fight with the six men we sent," remarked the one eyed samurai with the tattoos running along his body.

"I don't want guessing, I want to know for SURE! Find out if the monk is alive or not, and if he is alive, kill him. I want you two to handle this personally, so don't disappoint me Waraji, Zori," demanded the short man.

"Yes Gatoh-sama. We think we know where they have been staying now as well, and will head over there right away," exclaimed both men, with Zori adding the second part.

"Good, because if I have to hear any more about these monks, Ninjas, or priestesses, I'm going to cut someone up, or blow someone up," growled out the short man before lifting a glass of wine. The two samurai nodded, and quickly left; both of them not looking forward to the next part of their job.

* * *

Azuma Clan:

Once a proud Shinobi clan that served only the Daimyo of their country. They were feared and respected by many, even those of the Hidden villages. This clan acted as the personal messengers of the Daimyo, and should need be, his personal assassins. They have often worked closely to those they respected inside of the wall so Konohagakure. Who those people are is often kept a guarded secret by all parties involved.

What confused many though was the fact that they have never been seen using any form of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. The only thing none about their combat style is that it is swift, and deadly. Many have claimed that by the time you knew they slit your throat, your head would already be looking up at your body.

Since the war with Iwagakure, the Azuma clan has fallen on hard times. Normally housing a small army, there is now rumored to only be two surviving members. Like the Uchiha years later, they were betrayed by someone from within the clan, and now only have two loyal to the clan.

Their teachings are very secretive, and to be allowed to learn them is considered a great honor. To try to steal them would be bringing death upon yourself, as many of learned in the past. To attempt to copy their abilities was rumored to be labeled a crime of the highest caliber, and enforced strictly by the members of the clan.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ I did not finish it up, but since I wanted to show Gatoh, a little of Haku/Zabuza, and the Konoha teams, it turns it longer then expected. I am breaking it up into two chapters, so the next part will be up nearly right after this one. I took some time with this to try and get a certain part right, and I am still not sure if I did it properly.

Those who love stealth action games might know what I got the idea for that clan.. I hope to have the second part out shortly.


	6. Revolution Part 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Naruto_, or s-_CRY-ed_. I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'**_Demon Thoughts'_**

_**A/N:**_ There is a great deal to show, and so, so I decided to break the conclusion of the Wave Arc into two parts. Sorry about the mix up with the previous posting of this chapter. Something happened to cut the bulk of it away, hopefully this fixed it.

* * *

**Plan and Attack**

Naruto had met up with Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji to catch up on the events that happened while he was out. What he heard surprised him, and caused him to worry some.

It seemed that when he was first brought in, everyone gathered in the room around him and Kakashi. From there Anko and Kakashi outlined the training for Team 7, and discussed the chain of command while Kakashi was bedridden.

Team 7 was to start practicing the tree walking exercise. When asked if anyone knew how to climb trees with only their feet, Choji was able to explain it to the other two thirds of the team. It surprised Kakashi, and angered Sasuke and Sakura. When asked how he knew, Choji told them that he had learned it when he was working with Team 10 one day, and had started to practice it day after day since then. Kakashi decided that Choji would do guard duty at the bridge with Anko, and Sakura and Sasuke would continue to train in the control exercise.

From there Kakashi explained that they would follow any orders given by Anko, since she would be in charge until he could move around freely once again. This caused Sakura to shiver in slight fear, and Sasuke to scowl at having to listen to a woman. Both would have objected, but stopped when they saw the looks on the two Jonin's faces.

'_This can't be right; I saw all of those things happening while I was knocked out. I thought it was just a dream, but now I don't know what to think,'_ thought Naruto as he parted ways with Hinata and Shikamaru to do some private training. He quickly shook those thoughts from his mind as he came across a clearing, one perfect for his training.

Sighing, and removing his hat and robes, then set his staff down. He started the process of training his Kekkei Genkai. The first thing he always did when doing so was simple, look back on the history and fundamentals of it. So he thought back to what he read, and what he knew of his own version of it so far.

'_The Kekkei Genkai known as _**Alter**_ is a unique ability, one which sets it apart of all other bloodline in Konoha. Instead of always exhibiting the same traits, such as the _**Byakugan, **_and _**Sharingan,**_ it is shaped to a form that best suit's the owner. There have been very few examples throughout the family history where one person has inherited a version of the ability that was similar or the same to another member._

_This is actually to our advantage, as it does not give a set way of fighting our family. There are members of the family who fight indirectly, meaning they do not fight an opponent themselves. This can be done by creating a new body with the _**Alter**_ power, and sending it to fight for them, or it can be done by manipulating the elements around them with the _**Alter **_power. There have been many in our family who were able to conjure water, fire, wind, earth, and lightning with their powers and to an extent control those elements and bend them to their wills._

_There are also members of our family who use the power to alter their own bodies, and use it as an extension to battle. Otou-san's power allowed him great speed in battle, which helped to give him the name he is known for throughout the Shinobi nations. My own augments and strengthens my arm, and allows greater strength, but also prevents the use of Ninjutsu and chakra through that arm. For some reason when I try to use Ninjutsu, my brain has become hardwired to allow me to use one-handed seals in combination with my Kekkei Genkai. When I try to perform the one handed seals without it, I fail miserably._

_My power seems to draw on the latent energy of the area around me, which allows me to send myself flying into the air like I do at times. The fins on my back is just a form of crystallized Chakra, and I am able to determine how powerful each of the fins are by changing the amount of chakra I have flaring at the time they are formed. The green light that is seen when the Alter ability is being used also doubles as energy for the power. The energy is in fact stored in the fins as crystallized energy, which is different then the armor formed on my arm. When each of the fins is discharged, it releases the pent up energy, and explodes from where it previously existed. _

_When this happens, it becomes hard to control, and I have to balance my body to direct it to do what I want. Oddly enough each time I use a fin of power, it gives me a brief sensation of flying. With practice, I might be able to do just that by directing where the energy goes, almost like expelling chakra from my feet during the water and tree walking exercise.'_

Naruto paused hi musing as he closed his eyes and concentrated on bringing out his **Alter**. Within seconds of doing so, the familiar rush of power, and light flooded his senses. Quicker then in the past, his arm was incased, and he was now sporting the three fins on his back.

After flexing the armor-encased hand, and working the fingers in a way many would have broken there own, he started throwing experimental punches into the air. These were quickly followed by similar kicks and other stretches to work out the kinks in his muscles. As he started to warm up, he went back to thinking about his family history and power.

'_Despite the differences between us and the Uchiha, and Hyugas, we are also at a huge disadvantage. The training to control the power will differ from each person. What works for one member will not always work for another. This has caused many to lose control of their powers, and either destroy themselves, or injure those around them. That is why many encourage training where a person would only injure ones self, and not people whom they may care for._

_My alter form has one major disadvantage, control. I have to work hard to control the direction and momentum of the force behind each of the bullet attacks. If I lean forward, back, right, or left too much I can go off target. If that happens I leave myself wide, open for a counter attack, and risk being unable to recover in time to defend._

_Thankfully, Nee-chan found a way around this problem by getting someone to work on my Taijutsu. The _**Goken **(Iron Fist)_ will allow me to turn those openings into attacks by modifying some of the attacks such as _**Konoha Senpu**_, which depended on attacking with the leg. Instead of using my legs, I use my arm to perform the attacks. This turns out to be pretty damaging when I do it after I fired a bullet, and use that momentum to spin. Of course I could do the same with my legs, but the added damage caused by the armor of my arm is something I look forward to doing.'_

As he stopped thinking again, he moved over to a thick tree nearby and started alternating his punches and kicks on the tree. He was careful not to use his armor-encased arm, knowing that it would surely destroy the tree in a few short hits.

After that, he started the more advanced training. He worked these between the normal versions with his legs, and then using his arms to perform them. These were all that Gai would teach him, and Naruto soaked up faster then anyone thought he could.

Naruto shook his head again as he finished his Taijutsu training, and decided to work on Ninjutsu training, but more importantly one of his father's. He wanted to beat his Father and Jiraiya's record for learning the technique, and to do so he had practiced it since he found the scroll during his first week under Anko's tutelage.

Closing his eyes briefly, he quickly released his **Alter. **Once the green light receded from sight, he started his training. Closing his eyes, he visualized the only seal needed to perform his favorite Ninjutsu. Channeling the chakra, and in a billowing cloud of smoke several copies of Naruto now stood in the clearing.

"Alright guys, you know what to do, now let's wrap this up so we can use it on our mission tomorrow," shouted the original as each clone nodded, and starting concentrating chakra into the palm of their hands.

* * *

**Morning**

As the sun started to make its daily trek across the sky, a certain clearing was bathed in the early morning light. As the light spread across the clearing, several spiral shaped holes, and engraved trees could be seen. The small clearing, once a peaceful and calming place no looked like a war zone.

A dark haired girl in a simple rose pink kimono came across this sight. She could hardly believe her eyes as she looked at the place where she once gathered herbs, which was now no longer in the area. What shocked her most was the male body lying in the middle of the wooded area, his chest slowly rising and falling in what appeared to be a peaceful slumber.

Hesitant at first, the girl finally decided to approach the figure. As she did she slowly lowered a hand down towards the dirtied face of the, now evident boyish face. She walked slowly, and nearly tripped when she saw the metal plates on the back of the boy's hands adorned with the Konoha symbol.

She frowned, but quickly wiped her face clean of all negative emotions as she reached down to touch the boy's face. When her hand was inches away, she was surprised to see the boy grab her hand, and quickly sit up and place a kunai to her throat. For a few seconds there was nothing but complete silence in the small forest clearing.

Naruto slowly lowered his kunai, and released the girl's hand. During this, he managed to look the girl over completely, and in doing saw suddenly realized something.

"_T-this is the girl f-from my dreams,'_ thought Naruto as his cheeks flushed, and he bowed his head apologetically.

"Sorry about that, but you should never sneak up on someone," answered a flushed and embarrassed Naruto.

The girl was surprised when Naruto would no longer look her in the face, and even more so when she saw the blush on his cheeks.

"I am sorry about that, but you really shouldn't sleep outside all night on the ground. You could catch a cold, or some other sickness," playfully chided Haku as she saw his blush increase.

"I don't have to worry about it, I've never been sick my entire life," answered Naruto with his head still down.

"I see, just what were you doing out here so late," asked the girl as she settled onto the ground, resting on her knees.

Naruto finally stopped looking down, and looked over the girl once again. This time his eyes looked as if they were searching the depths of her soul as their gazes locked. He brought himself to his knees, and placed his hands in his lap as he continued to inspect her.

"I would like to ask you the same thing; after all it is a little early for someone a beautiful as you to be out and about. It could be dangerous with Gatoh's men wondering the countryside freely," answered Naruto.

"I can understand your concern, but it is easier and safer to find herbs early in the morning. Gatoh's men are most then likely still in a deep alcoholic sleep at this time," answered the girl in a singsong voice.

"Ah, but I guess there are no herbs here now," remarked Naruto as he looked around the destroyed clearing. He did something he had not done in some time, and raised a hand behind his head to scratch it nervously.

"Yes, it would seem you destroyed most of them in your training. I don't think I have introduced myself, I am Haku," added the raven-haired girl as she smiled at Naruto. Naruto laughed nervously, and nodded his head in agreement.

"Ah, sorry about that, I have yet to introduce myself as well. I am Kaos, a traveling monk, and it is a pleasure to meet someone of your beauty," replied Naruto, hoping to stay in character.

"Oh my, you must be an extremely powerful monk to cause such damage. You are so young too; it is amazing that you could accomplish so much in such a short time. I have never seen a monk before, much less one that dress like you," came Haku's realistically surprised response, but her eyes never left the Konoha markings on the back of his hands.

"Eh, I guess you could say that. I only recently came to this country from the Land of Fire though. I must say that I am disgusted with the actions of Gatoh and his men. Because of this, it has become my mission to bring peace back to the Land of Waves," answered Naruto as he retrieved his robes, hat and staff.

Haku nodded her head as she listened to Naruto, wondering if he could do what he claims to want to do. After that, the two moved to small glade that held the herbs that Haku needed. While plucking the herbs, they talked about small innocent topics; each of them feeling the other out.

It was nearing mid-morning when Haku and Naruto finally finished picking herbs, and Haku was about to take her leave. She was nearly out of the small glade when Naruto had called out to her, and what he said made her blood run cold in fear.

"Haku-chan, I do not recommend making another attempt on the life of Tazuna. Soon your employer will be unable to pay the contract in full, and it would be a shame for someone like yourself to end up hurt, physically and emotionally. I have some friends, and we plan on taking out Gatoh soon. I am only telling you this because I know you detest him as much as I do, and would probably love to seem the pig of a man squirm.

"Now that you know what I intend to do, what will you do? Will you tip Gatoh off to save your meal ticket, doom this country, and risk being double-crossed? On the other hand, will you only tell this father, Zabuza, what we plan to do, and hold off on attacking Tazuna? It could only be a day or two before Zabuza is in fighting shape again. At the earliest, he would be able to fight late to night, or early tomorrow morning," called out and asked Naruto as he leveled his eyes on the girl's back.

Haku stood there thinking over what was just said, and she found herself suddenly very nervous about having her back to the young monk. She started to curse herself for only brining a handful of senbon, and really did not want to depend upon her Kekkei Genkai against someone who had been so nice to her.

"Why… Why did you tell me this, even though you knew I was the enemy," questioned Haku with her head down, unable to look back at the man she was speaking to.

"I don't know honestly, but there is something about you that reminds me of myself. I feel a connection with you, one that I have only felt once or twice before… For some reason, I see you as family, maybe sister, or at least as a cousin. A kind person like you can't enjoy life on the run, and probably longs for a place to settle down," answered Naruto as he continued to face away from Haku.

Haku stood there as she pondered his words. She could tell they were sincere, and seemed to hold wisdom beyond the age of the person she just spoke with. Yet, he seemed to have her pegged, even though they had only known each other for a few hours.

'_Home, when was the last time I could call a place that? When was the last time that the four of us could relax, and not worry about the Hunter-nin from Kiri? It has been too long, but what would Zabuza-san say about this offer,' thought Haku as she started to chew her bottom lip in confusion and thought._

"I'll tell you want Haku, meet me at the bridge in two days. By then it should be nearly completed, and when you show up, bring Zabuza, and the _Onikyodai _with you. I think I can manage to talk some people into letting you travel with us to Konoha, and seek refuge there. If anything, it would keep the Hunter-nins off your back for a short time, and keep you off their radar.

"Or, if you would like, you can send someone to watch me and my friends remove Gatoh from the land later tonight. If we do, then you have no choice but to come with us to Konoha. If may seem like I am forcing you to, but you can use a stable home, and Konoha can use skilled Shinobi and Kunoichi. We both have something to offer the other. Think about it, and tell your representative to meet me on the edge of town, and near Gatoh's compound around ten tonight. They do not have to do any of the work, just sit and watch us work," finished Naruto as he started to walk away. As he walked away from the still shocked Haku, he prayed that she did not hear his stomach growling for attention.

Haku stood at the edge of the small sunlight glade, thinking over the words offered, and how to present the offer to Zabuza. The offer was interesting, both of them, even though the first was voluntary, and the second left little room if they came to watch.

'_Still, either way we could gain a new home, and not have to run any more… We are all tired of living life on the run, even if the Brothers don't show it. Zabuza-san is tired of running I know, despite what he shows around the Brothers… I am tired, and only wish to live a normal life. A life where I do not have to be feared by everyone because of my gift, and most of all, a life where I can live as a normal Kunoichi, and not hide who I am behind a mask,'_ thought Haku as she made her way back to the tree top building that made up their temporary 'home'.

* * *

Naruto walked through the village once again, and smiled, and exchanged greetings with those who greeted him. He enjoyed the smiles, and laughter of the villagers, and he was more then happy to return them. It calmed him down, and reinforced his choice of actions against Gatoh. However, despite all of this, he could not help but feel betrayed by his home village.

He quickly shook those thoughts out of his mind as he finally arrived in front of Tazuna's house, and smiled at the scents and sounds coming from within. Even from outside he could hear Tsunami and another figure working in and around the house. With another growl form his stomach, he finally made his way inside.

Stepping into the house, he could see Tsunami cleaning and humming, and as he removed his footwear, she smiled up and greeted him. Offering a friendly smile and greeting, he quickly made his way to the kitchen to see what was attracting his attention.

Inside of the small kitchen stood Hinata, standing over a hot stove, and several boiling pots. Naruto quickly followed his nose to one of the pots, and smiled at the contents within.

"RAMEN, thanks Hinata, I could really use something to eat right about now. I guess when I left yesterday I kind of forgot about not eating anything for nearly three days," cheered Naruto as he walked towards the pot with a bowl that appeared out of nowhere. Just as he was about to reach for the ladle, and fill his bowl, he was suddenly face to face with a very angry Hinata.

"Naruto-kun, before you even think about eating anything, you better clean up first. Tsunami-san was nice enough to make enough broth and ramen for you last night, and here you are just walking in finally. You should know that it has been almost two days since you last ate anything… You know Anko-sensei is upset you stayed out training all night. Not only that, but you worried Inari-kun last night, and made him think that you were attacked again when you didn't come home," shouted the timid girl, at least as much as she could. Normally not intimidated, Naruto suddenly found himself very afraid of the girl in front of him. The heavy metal spoon waving dangerously around in her hand might have had something to do with it.

Naruto started backing away from the menacing form of Hinata, and suddenly wished he tried working on the **Shunshin no Jutsu** (Body Flicker Technique) from his father's library. Waving his hands over his head to defend against the deadly ladle, he started to make his way up the stairs, and to the bathroom.

"Sorry Hinata-chan, I got carried away with training last night; you know how I can be at times. I didn't mean to make anyone worry about me, but I needed to stretch and work the kinks out from my down time. I'll make it up to all of you I promise! Just put the ladle down, and I'll clean up as fast as I can, and do anything else Tsunami-san needs. I'll even talk with Inari, and let him know everything is okay," pleaded Naruto as he tried to ensure a meal of ramen for himself, and an intact skull to enjoy it with. So while ducking a final swing from the ladle of doom, Naruto quickly ducked into the bathroom, the one room safe from Hinata's rampage.

"You better do what you just said Naruto-kun! After that, we still need to talk with Sensei, and Shikamaru-kun. I just hope you don't think you are off the hook yet," scolded Hinata through the door as she walked back downstairs. Before she returned to the dishes she was working on before, she turned to Tsunami to apologize for the trouble she was being put through.

What she saw was not what she expected. Instead of cleaning, Tsunami was seated against the wall and trying to keep from laughing at the little lover's quarrel that had just occurred. Therefore, instead of apologizing, Hinata's face heated up, and she quickly retreated to the kitchen and the dishes.

* * *

**Unknown location in Wave Country**

Haku numbly walked back into the current place that she resided with Zabuza, Meizu, and Gozu. The words of Naruto were still bouncing around, and ringing within her mind, leaving her in a slight daze. She longed for what he was offering, but could she seek it out with what she saw as her family, or would they go against the offer. So caught up in her thoughts, she never noticed the _Onikyodai _standing in the makeshift "living room" of the isolated base. She was nearly out of the room when she heard the brothers finally speak up.

"Brother, did you see how she ignored us, not even offering a greeting to us on her return," asked Meizu as he watched Haku stop in the hallway. "Yes Brother, it seems our little sister has a great deal on her mind," added Gozu, smiling behind his mask. "Do you think Brother, that little," spoke Gozu as he turned to face Meizu, who finished his thought, "Haku has finally found an interest in boys?"

Both brothers started to smile behind their respective masks at the blush that suddenly appeared on Haku's face. They would have laughed at the sight if the temperature did not start to drop like an Akimichi skydiving. Their merriment was forgotten as they started to dodge numerous shards of ice, and spikes of water.

This continued as the two brothers ran down the hall, and towards the room of Zabuza. Upset at the words and actions of the brothers, she never noticed whose room she was in until she heard someone clear their throat. Stopping a water spike from impaling the Brothers, she turned to the sound and flinched as she saw Zabuza sitting up in bed looking at her, and his destroyed room.

Feathers were floating down from the pillows thrown in the path of needles and spikes. Water puddles could be seen all around the place, as well as small frozen puddles. Needles decorated the walls, and at one point, they seemed to just barely curve above where Zabuza's head currently was situated.

"Haku, would you mind telling me why my room was turned into a pin cushion," questioned her father figure as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Seeing what he was about to do, Haku rushed to the bed and tried to push him back down onto his former resting place.

"You shouldn't be up yet, you could agitate your injuries," fussed Haku as she tried to push him back down, only to be met with an immovable Zabuza.

"Haku I'm fine now, at least enough to where you don't need to fuss over me like a mother hen. Now tell me what is going on here between you three," stated Zabuza firmly. He watched as Haku sat down roughly at the foot of the bed, with her head resting on the palms of her hands. Her hair was blocking the sides of her face from his view, and from the looks of it, the view of the Brothers.

"Zabuza-sama, what would you do if we had a place to rest, and call home without having to worry about the Kiri Hunter-nin," asked Haku in a soft voice that could barely be heard. Zabuza was silent for a minute, and looked to the brothers. From what he could tell, they were just as confused as he was.

"Haku, did some boy propose to you while you were picking herbs? I guess it was only a matter of," he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed the glare being sent at him by Haku, "Um, well I suppose if there was such a way, and we all agreed to it, I might consider it. Though I would have to wonder what the price of such as thing would be," corrected Zabuza as he finally felt the temperature finally starting to rise again.

"Tell us sister, what brought this on so suddenly," questioned Meizu as he brought a chair to sit across from Haku and Zabuza. Gozu was not far behind him, with another chair, and a small table with drinks.

Haku, seeing they were willing to listen, took a deep breath and started to tell them what happened while she was out. As she did so, she too started to feel a bond connecting her to the young blond monk, who she only knew for a short number of hours.

* * *

**Sui**

"YOU DID WHAT," could be heard all across the small village of Wave Country. Many stopped to turn in the direction that they guess the sound came from. Others quickly carried their children inside, the tone and implied anger making them fear for their lives. Others quickly covered up the ears of the children present; hoping to drown out the cursed that quickly followed the first exclamation.

In the home of Tazuna, there was a different act being played out. With Anko's return home, along with the members of Team 7 and Shikamaru, Naruto was quickly questioned on where he had been the entire night. It was after his retelling of the encounter with Haku that Anko snapped, and started to berate the boy.

Choji, Shikamaru, Tazuna, Kakashi, and even Sasuke shrunk back from the furious woman, hoping to be spared form her wrath. Each of them backed against the wall, some in a corner, but each of them watched with fear evident in their eyes. Hinata was stuck between following the other's example, following Anko's example, or trying to stand up for the person she cared for more then life itself. Tsunami was busy covering Inari's ears, hoping to block out the words being shouted by Anko, and some of them she had never heard of before. She was sure though that what Anko was saying would likely make a sailor blush in embarrassment. Inari was busy trying to pull his mother's hands off his ears, and at the same time trying to run over to Naruto and give him a peace of his mind.

Naruto was busy dodging weapons of all shapes and sizes, and trying to catch and protect any of Tsunami's valuable dishes and furniture. This was only done with the aide of numerous Kage Bunshins, and several well timed Kawarimi.

"I only did it because I know what they will do! She is a lot like me, I can tell by looking in her eyes. You have to trust me on this because I know what it is like to not have a safe place to call home," shouted Naruto as he dodged the projectiles sent by Anko. Things suddenly stopped flying after he finished that final sentence, causing him to look up at Anko. He could see the emotions playing across her faces, and through her eyes. He hated to bring those back to the surface, but he knew it would be the only way she would listen to what he had to say.

The others in the room, minus Shikamaru, Hinata, and Kakashi, looked on in confusion at the blonde's words. Each of them were wondering just what the blonde meant, and just how he could say it with such unbridled emotion in his voice. Everyone could see the effect the words had on the two arguing people though.

"Fine, but don't expect me to be there to clean up any mess you make because of this. I don't like the fact that you told possible enemies our plans. Not to mention the people you told also happen to be one of the best assassination team from Kiri. I can just hope that you continue to make good choices in your life, and pray that this doesn't come back to bite us all," stated Anko with he head down, and voice barely above a whisper.

"I know it seems like a risk, but I know that if we can avoid a fight, we should try to. Besides, Jiji has always been saying we need more Shinobi in Konoha, and I agree we are short handed. You and Kakashi-san cannot argue that Konoha is in valuable need of skilled Shinobi. If we can recruit Nukenin, and they are willing to swear allegiance to Konoha, and repay for any crimes they might have previously committed; then it should not be a problem. Of course they would have to be watched to make sure they are not just spies, but in the end we gain the skills of and knowledge of some powerful allies," added Naruto as he trudged over to Anko. By the time he made it back to her, she seemed to have already recovered, and was giving him one of her patented sinister smirks.

Slowly after that, the household started to revert to what could be considered normal. Naruto started to clean up the mess Anko and he made. Hinata went back to the kitchen to help Tsunami finish dinner, but not before hitting Naruto on the head with one of the frying pans thrown by Anko. Sakura, and Sasuke collapsed along one of the walls, exhausted form their day of training. Kakashi found a corner to lean in while reading his favorite book, with Tazuna close by. Choji and Shikamaru shared a few laughs at Naruto's earlier predicament, much to the annoyance of Naruto. Inari decided to help Naruto with the cleaning, hoping to get a chance to talk to the blonde.

The young boy would not get his chance until after dinner, and even then, he had to follow Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Anko outside, and onto the walkway pier that surrounded his home. The group was about to walk into the woods when they heard Inari call out to Naruto.

"Inari? What's up, I thought you had to help your mom with some laundry or something," asked Naruto as he turned to face the brown haired youth. He was surprised to hear the boy yelling, but even more so when he felt the boy grab his hand, and pull him away from the others.

"Inari, I can't play right now… I have to do something, and it is extremely important," stated Naruto as he tried to pull his hand free from the boy. Despite his efforts, he still found himself being pulled away by the boy. He turned to the others for help, only to hear Anko holler at his retreating form.

"Sorry kid, but he has wanted to talk to you for the last few days. The stunt you pulled last night was the breaking point I think. Talk with him, and see if you can figure out what's up. You know where to meet us, besides we have a few hours to kill before the meet time you set," stated Anko as she ushered her other two students away.

Resigning himself to his fate, Naruto picked up Inari, and jumped along the roof tops until they reached what was once a bell tower. Once inside, he set the younger boy down, and sat across from him, awaiting whatever questions and concerns he may have.

Inari sat there, thinking of what to say now that he had a chance to speak with the blonde. He started to speak several times, only for a lump to develop in his throat, causing him to pause and reconsider what he was about to say. This went on for nearly thirty minutes before Naruto pouted, and started the conversation for the boy.

"I have a hunch to what you want to know Inari, but I'm not going to say anything until I hear it from you. Just be a man and say what you want to say, and ask what you want to ask," commented Naruto nonchalantly with a wave of his hand. Hearing those words, Inari's eyes set into a determine gaze, and reminded him just why he was there.

"Its true isn't it? I mean what I heard Hinata-nee-chan saying to Kakashi-san," mumble Inari, barely loud enough to be heard by Naruto. Naruto looked at the top of the boy's head, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

'_I was expecting him to yell at me for being an idiot, and nearly getting myself killed,'_ thought Naruto as he scratched the back of his head with a confused look on his face.

"Um Inari, I have no idea what you are talking about… I was honestly thinking you were going to call me an idiot for what happened three days ago," called out Naruto as he smiled at the young boy who looked up at him. Inari's eyes were wide by now, and his mouth hanging open, almost as if he did not believe what the blonde was saying. The fact that Naruto was still smiling seemed to fuel the rising temper of Inari.

"I mean that your home village hates you! I am talking about the demon that the Yondaime put in you! You are the boy from the story, right," nearly shouted Inari as he looked at the shocked Naruto now. Naruto leveled his eyes on Inari, and could see the anger, hate, kindness, and most of all, the one thing that Naruto knew best, loss.

"Does it matter Inari? What if I am the person from the story, but then again, what if I am not the person? Does it really matter to you," asked Naruto as he turned his head away from the young boy.

"YES, I mean from the way you talk about your home most of the time, you love it. But if what you said in the story was true, and what I heard from Hinata-nee-chan is true, then why do you care so much about them? They hate you and want you dead," screamed the youth, and slowly lowering his words down to a mere whisper.

"Inari, remember the boy from the story? He may have been hated by his village, and mistreated, but he also had people who cared for him there. His Father died protecting the Village, and in a way, his Mother did too. If he didn't try to protect the village, he would be misusing the power given to him by his Father and Mother. It would also mean that those he cares for could end up hurt, or even worst, dead. The boy doesn't care about what others have done to him as long as he can protect those precious to him, and he would do it with everything he had.

"Inari, Kaiza was a lot like that from what I have heard. He knew if there was something special to you, you had to do everything you could to protect it. Village, Mother, Father, and Grandfather, each of those things are special on their own level. Each could be destroyed if you just sat back, watched, and complained about those around you. The only way to make each of them proud, and to protect it, is to do everything possible and within your power to keep them safe. If you don't, then what was the point of living? We only truly live when we fight for the things that are worth living for," stated Naruto firmly, with a far away look in his eyes. They were unfocused, and cloudy, almost as if he was remembering his past, and trying to look into the future.

"Listen Inari, tomorrow morning when your Grandfather leaves to the bridge, I want you to take your mom someplace safe. I don't know when my team and I will be back, and since we have to make sure Gatoh's men never harm the village, we could be tied up all day long. I want you to make sure your mom is safe, so do everything you can to keep her safe until you see us, alright," and with out waiting for the youth's answer, Naruto had picked the boy up, and jumped out the window. Once down on normal the streets of Sui, he released Inari, and took off across the roofs to meet with his team. Inari stood there looking in the direction Naruto vanished.

'_Nii-san, I will do everything I can to keep those precious to me safe like you do.'

* * *

_

**Outskirts of Sui**

Naruto arrived to the meeting place thirty minutes after he left Inari. The only reason for taking so long was the pit stop he made to change into his mission garb beneath his robes. Once he made sure all of his scrolls, and weapons were in placed, he donned his robes again and made his way to the meeting place.

Once there he could hardly see the vague outlines of Hinata and Shikamaru, who were both hiding in the shadows. Anko sat on the edge of the rooftop, casually twirling a kunai around, and awaiting the presence of Naruto. Once she felt him land, she stood and beckoned the other two to come forward.

Each of the two Genin wore dark clothing, and wore customized hitaiate set in a carbon black metal with the Konoha symbol carved into them. Each had nearly every inch of skin covered in clothing, or bandages, just leaving their eyes open to the view of the outside world. They would almost look like ANBU, but they lacked the masks and cloaks to complete the ensemble.

"I guess you answered the kid's questions Naruto," asked Anko as he walked over towards her and his other two teammates.

"Yeah… I was actually expecting something else from him, and not something about that. So any sign of our guests," asked Naruto trying to change the subject.

"None yet, but it is still early. They have at least thirty minutes before the deadline. While we wait, everyone perform an equipment check, and make sure you have everything. After I meet with the person sent by Zabuza, then I will be heading back to Tazuna's and leaving everything else up to you three. Just remember what I taught you, and everything should be fine.

"The only other thing I have to say is concerning Gatoh's men. You may have to eliminate a number of them, and I only hope you don't freeze up when you do. This is going to be very important because once Gatoh is taken care of; they will have only one place to go for their income, Sui. I want all of you to scare these bastards. I want them to be so afraid that they jump at their own shadows. I don't want them to even think about taking one step towards Sui, unless they want to face the wrath of a vengeful god," finished Anko as the team started their checks.

The way they were trained by Anko to do this was simple. First, they would check their own equipment, and after that, the person to their right would check the equipment; finally, the person to their left would perform one final check before they would start to perform the mission.

It was while they were doing the checks that they were greeted with the sight of two men. One was obviously a little taller then the other, and wore a clawed gauntlet on his left arm. The smaller of the two wore a similar device on his right arm. Both wore similar breathing masks, and tattered black cloaks. One wore a hitaiate with the same symbol engraved upon it, the one for Kiri.

The Konoha Nin tensed at seeing the duo, and jumped backwards to keep some distance between them. Each side was looking at the other, scrutinizing one another, and judging the people across from them. After several tense and silent minutes, Naruto walked between the two groups to place peacekeeper, and it was his plan.

"Meizu, Gozu, I'm surprised they sent both of you here, I was expecting Gatoh of Haku-chan. I guess it should be considered a pleasure to meet you," greeted Naruto as he held his hands out in greeting to the two Kiri Chunin. Both Brothers smiled beneath their masks as they took in the Konoha group, and could not help but see why Haku might have been daydreaming when they saw Naruto, even though he was still wearing his monk robes.

"It is our pleasure. Anyone who would be willing to trust their current enemies like you have must be very strong and brave," stated Meizu as he took Naruto's right hand. "That or they are incredibly stupid, and lack proper skill," jabbed Gozu as he took Naruto's left hand, and shook it in greeting. Both had decided on trying to tempt their hosts, in hopes of judging their skills. When they felt and saw no sign of anger from the blonde, they only smiled under their masks.

"That is true," answered Naruto as he smiled at the older men, "but it could also be that I've had someone following you ever since you came within 10 blocks of our location," finished Naruto as he nodded behind the two. Both Meizu and Gozu looked behind each other to see a handful of blondes.

"It is obvious that those are not regular **Bunshin**," started Gozu, "but could it be that this is the infamous **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** Konoha is known for," finished Meizu.

"It could be, but enough of that, you were sent here to witness the assassination of Gatoh. The best place to do that, and stay out of our way is the water Tower two blocks to the south," interrupted Shikamaru as he walked over.

"Yes, we need to finalize a few things, and I don't want you two here while we do that. Think of it as a safety precaution by us, incase you decide to double cross us at the last minute," added Anko as she walked forward as well, and Hinata trailing her.

Without saying a word, the Brothers left to wait at the water tower, and observe what the young Genin planned to do. Even though they were jumping from roof to roof, it still did nothing to prevent them from discussing their opinions on the four they just met.

"It seems as if they are an odd bunch of Genin, Brother. The dark haired boy looked to obviously be a Nara, perhaps the son of the current Family head," started Meizu as he dropped down into an alley to check the corners. They may be two Chunin, but they never made it there without taking some precautions. The fact the blonde monk managed to sneak up on them with clones only reinforced that feeling.

"Perhaps, but the smaller female interested me. Her eyes were covered by a small obscure visor. It would prevent us and anyone else from seeing behind it. It makes me wonder why she would take such precautions to hide her identity… A Hyuga perhaps, since there is said to only be a single Uchiha left in Konoha," added Gozu as he checked the other end of the alley.

"A Hyuga, Nara, and a no name taking on such a crazy assassination mission. I wonder if they ever thought of why we never attempted to eliminate Gatoh ourselves. The man may be a fool, be he is the master of paranoia," commented Meizu as he started back to the rooftops, and finally the top of the water tower.

"He has his little palace locked downed better then the Mizukage did, and this is without Shinobi. The man uses technology bought from the far north to secure everything. To get into that place Gatoh would have to throw the doors open for them, and that would never happen," added Gozu as he joined his brother on top of the tower.

"Then we can only watch and see what these upstarts," started Meizu as he turned to face his brother, "are going to do that we could not. It should prove enlightening and humbling for both parties," finished Gozu as he settled in for what should be a long night.

Back with Team 10, Anko had everyone settled down, and pulled out a small map that looked like a crudely drawn blueprint of a daimyo's compound. On the map were several blocks, designated as buildings, and holding areas. There were also numerous "x" marks along the map, but they were more noticeable around the outer wall of the map. Several of these marks stood out from the rest, with a large red circle around them.

Along with them, there were several dashed lines, and solid lines, which seemed to designate possible and known patrol patterns. These were on ground level, and what could only be the rooftops or the walls of the complex. These were spread out along the entire length and width of the place, and often enough had minor notations along with them; possibly denoting the time shifts change. Once Anko had smoothed the map out, she looked up at each of her Genin.

"I want you each to memorize this as much as possible. Hold your questions until I am done explaining. Naruto you should pay attention most of all, since Hinata and I gathered most of this information. Shikamaru has already come up with a plan of getting inside, to listen carefully," commanded Anko as she looked at each of them to ensure they were listening. When she saw each of them nod their heads, and settle their eyes on the map, scrutinizing every small detail of it; she knew she had their attention.

"Now, along the walls we have found out that they have brought in special weapons for security. They are called volley guns, and are extremely dangerous, and nearly impossible for the fastest of Shinobi to dodge. They are set up at 20-yard intervals, with the main front wall being 100 yards long. They also have similar weapons along the back wall, and the side walls; this makes any kind of frontal assault by a small force nearly impossible," finished Anko as she looked to make sure each of them understood what she had just said. Nodding to herself that the soaked it in, she continued, "Normally we would contact Konoha for assistance, but time prevents us from doing so. Thankfully, we have a plan to get in the front gate with out a fight. We will go over that after I have explained a few other details of this map.

"The lines you see are the patrol patterns we have been able to confirm with Hinata's **Byakugan**, and from interrogating the people who assaulted you and Hinata. The dashed lines are suspected patrol routes that can barely be seen by Hinata, and me from the water tower. The times noted along side of them are what we believe to be the shift change for each of them. Again, some are confirmed by us eyeballing them, others are from the three people we questioned.

"The marks you see circled are key points of interest, ones that we need to take out. They keep oil and small amounts of explosive powder near their volley guns. If we take out those stores, then it will open up the walls, and hopefully prevent the guns from being turned inside of the compound once we get in," she paused as she looked at the faces of her team. She quickly shook it off, since she wanted to finish the briefing as soon as possible.

"There is also a generator that powers the entire compound, and once taken out will remove the numbers advantage, and put the odds in our favor for the time being. I don't care what you do, but that place has to be taken out, along with the stores in the outer walls for this to even come close to happening. If possible, I want them taken out within minutes of each other. Blowing them up at the same time would only help them. Doing it at intervals will help cause mass hysteria and confusion.

"Now the nice big fat "x" is our target, and will more then likely be surrounded by his little harem. Do not injure them unless they give you a reason to. I want them escorted out of the compound, and to safety if possible. Do everything in your power to get them and keep them out of danger. Their lives out weigh the mission objective at this time, and the only thing more important then them is your own lives. After all, if you are dead, who is going to save them? Now Shikamaru, outline the plan you made," finished Anko as she sat back, and pulled out a small flask of sake to indulge herself with. She watched as Shikamaru mumbled something, and cleared his throat before starting.

"What Sensei said is true, getting inside is going to be tough, but thankfully we have Konoha's number one prankster with us. Naruto, you have shown a number of times that you are able to sneak into the most secure places of Konoha, and now it is time for you to do it here. You won't be going in alone though; Hinata will be with you. Both of you will be in disguise once again, so keep in character.

"With these disguises, you should be able to walk right in through the front door, and have an audience with Gatoh, or at least be placed in a room to meet him tomorrow. Once alone, you will carry out the operation. Naruto, you will use your clones to place several explosive tags at the key locations. Once that has been done, you will blow the generator at 0000 hundred hours exactly. From then on, a different storeroom will be detonated every five minutes, and hopefully add to the confusion. The storerooms seemed to thankfully be located underneath the Volley guns, so once they blow; the guns should go with them. When there are only two left, make your way towards Gatoh. Take out any guards you come across with whatever force you deem necessary.

"Hinata, while Naruto is doing this, you will be moving the non-combatants to a secure location, such as the cellar where Gatoh keeps his ill-gotten goods. Once they are down there, and safe, lock the door, and start taking out the guards once you hear the first explosion. At that time, all thoughts of keeping their patrol patterns and shifts will be gone. Watch your back, and don't be caught off guard as you head towards Gatoh's room. Take your time, look for any civilians, and take them to safety if needed. There are a number of rooms along the way that can be used for such purposes besides the cellar," finished Shikamaru as he looked at his teammates. He could see them absorbing the information, and engraving it into their minds. Naruto's eyes were flickering across the map, taking in every detail until.

"I will be helping Hinata, and also trying to handle the guards at the back of the compound. Since tonight is fairly bright out, with few clouds, and decent moonlight, I should have no problems. We will all meet up outside of the hall that leads towards Gatoh's room at 0100 hundred hours exactly. Naruto before you meet up with us; create a few hundred clones to keep the guards off our backs. I hope that they buy us the time we need to finish the final part of the mission. Once that is done, we wrap up everything by doing our best to restrain and detain anyone we can. If they will not come peacefully, then we are left with only one option, eliminating them. Everyone understands," asked Shikamaru as he finished his plan of action.

"Okay, so what are we going to disguise ourselves as this time," asked a weary Naruto as he saw the smiles on the other three faces around him.

"Well, we had thought about going with our current ones, but there is no telling what they would do to you when they saw you; the same thing can be said with Hinata. So we decided on a 'Plan B', which should allow all of us to get in unscathed. The only problem is they might try to grope you, and if that happens, just slap the hand away, and tell them you were ordered privately for Gatoh," spoke Shikamaru, causing Naruto's blood to run cold.

"I will transform into a brush, which one of you will keep in your bag. I will stay in there until we reach a safe location, and then I will release the jutsu. It is likely though that they will remove your belongings, and stored them somewhere else. If that happens, it will only help our goals in the end. So any other questions," asked Shikamaru once again. This time he started to smile when he saw Naruto's hand slowly rise above his head, "what is the question Naruto?"

"Um, I can guess what you might have Hinata disguise herself as, even though I hate the idea of it… But, what are you going to have me disguised as in this 'brilliant' "Plan B"," questioned Naruto, not liking the look on the face of Shikamaru.

"Well Naruto, since you decided not to take part in the planning session, we decided to give you a proper punishment. That is why you will use one of your greatest forbidden techniques to get within the walls of Gatoh's compound," finished Shikamaru with a sinister grin on his face. Naruto looked around and saw the grin mirrored by Anko. He turned to Hinata, hoping she would have something to say on his behalf. Sadly, when he looked at her, she mirrored Anko's smile, though her smile was nowhere near as psychotic as Anko's.

'_Oh crap, I really don't like Plan Bs,' _thought Naruto as he gulped.

* * *

'_I am so going to kill Shikamaru and Nee-chan when this is over with,'_ were the only thoughts that went through Naruto's mind as he walked up the path that lead to the compound run by Gatoh.

Hinata was next to him, and seemed to have a permanent blush on her cheeks. Naruto blamed this partially on what was bound to happen to them when the guards caught sight of them. They were walking to the front gates, guarded by some of the most despicable men that either of them had ever heard of or seen. Add to that the stories they heard about what these men did to the women of the country, and it was bound to cause some problems. Thankfully, though, Anko had a pair of dark red colored contacts that Hinata could wear to hide her Hyuga heritage.

As they walked, both girls tried to keep from tripping over the stray rocks. This proved to be difficult when neither of them were used to walking in Geta sandals. Naruto would admit though, Hinata was having an easier time then he was. He could only hope he came out of this with his pride, honor, and dignity intact.

Mumbling once again about how he planned to kill Shikamaru, he looked over Hinata's newest disguise. Her face was painted white, with red blush on her cheeks. Her hair was done up in a bun on the top of her head, with two hair sticks keeping it up. She wore no jewelry, on her ears or around her neck and fingers. She was clothed in an indigo Yukata, with a plain golden sash wrapped around her waist.

Naruto, who walked next to her and could be, heard constantly grumbling along with swearing death to their third teammate was in similar garb. However, instead of a man walking in, he was forced to use his one jutsu that was forbidden to use any where in his homeland, **Oiroke no Jutsu **(Sexy Technique). So now, he had his long golden blonde hair trailing behind him in twin ponytails. He managed to talk Anko out of putting any makeup on his face, thus saving some of his honor as a man. His Yukata was a stark contrast to the one worn by Hinata. His was a bright golden color, similar to his hair, and to keep it all together was a simple dark purple sash.

To add insult to injury, the Yukata provided by Anko and Hinata turned out to be far too small for this form. Therefore, his bust was nearly popping out of the top of the clothing, and would give anyone a great view of the cleavage, and flesh within.

'_Kami, I would rather come walking up as a monk and get my ass kicked then dress like this. Next time Shikamaru will handle this part of the job, or at least he can replace Hinata,'_ mentally ranted Naruto again as he hit the side of his leg with the purse that held Shikamaru.

It was not long after that they reached the front gates, and were greeted by several leering men. Each of them was eyeing the two "girls" who seemed the exact opposite of the other with them. After being mentally undressed an untold number of times, one finally stepped forward to question the two.

"What can we do for such lovely young ladies? You know you shouldn't be wondering around by yourself so late at night, there is no telling what could happen to you," asked the man as he walked towards Naruto with a perverted smile on his face. Naruto strained a small and teasing smile as he brought a hand up to partially cover his chest, and answered the man sweetly.

"Oh my yes, but we were called here by Gatoh-sama. He specifically ordered us from the coast of Fire Country, and we just arrived two hours ago. The men on the boat told us to come here with out delay, and if we did not get here as soon as possible, we would lose any money from the job," answered Naruto as he blinked his eyes innocently, and pouted at the man in front of him.

"Oh, so the boss has some new play things does he? Nice Exotic looking ones at that," he turned to the guards behind him and shouted, "Hey boys, these girls seem to be Gatoh's newest toys, think we should break them in for him?"

Naruto fought back the growl in his throat, and the urge to plunge a kunai in his throat. Before the man could reach out and grab him, he swatted the hand away, and all traces of his earlier carefree manner were gone.

"I am sorry, but we were told to not let anyone touch us but Gatoh-sama. If you did so, it would spoil what was ordered. I am sure that would greatly upset your master, since he would not have the "pure" girls that he called for."

Next to Naruto, Hinata nodded her head in agreement with Naruto, and hoped that they could get this over with as soon as possible. The looks that the men were giving her unnerved her, and terrified her at the same time. She would not panic, and after all, she had volunteered for this portion though. She wanted to prove she could do more then any other Kunoichi of her class, and so she would endure the humiliation that would likely come from this. All she could hope for is that her father would not be too upset when and if he found out.

"Oh really now? What Gatoh doesn't know, won't hurt him. Now how about you ladies come give us some loving," sneered a man with two katanas strapped to his back. He walked in front of Hinata, and raised a hand to stroke her cheek. She fought the urge to send a palm strike to his stomach, and instead slapped his hand away from her face, glaring at the man.

"I will ask you not to do that again. If you continue, we will only be forced to scream, and that could attract more guards that are loyal. If they found out, and told Gatoh-sama what you tried to do, what do you suppose would be your punishment," questioned Hinata as she quirked an eyebrow at the man in front of her. At the mention of something other then the pleasure filled screams he dreamed of, the man paled, along with the ones around him.

Many have tried to take what Gatoh claimed as his own, and those people often ended up being carved into slabs of meat by his personal guards. The last ones who tried to spoil such gifts ended up being drawn and quartered in front of the other guards as an example. NO, these men might be fools, but they did value their lives.

"Fine wench, but the boss is already in bed right now. He doesn't like being woke up for anything short of a ship full of diamonds. You two whores can wait in one of the rooms with the other servants," snapped the man as he motioned for two of the guards to lead them in.

* * *

**Water Tower**

The _Onikyodai_ watched stupefied as the two visible members of the Konoha team walked through the front gates. No search, no groping, and no problems what so ever it seemed. Never before did they think that such an approach could work, and here three wet behind the ears Genin walked into a place they could not.

"Brother, it seems Konoha has a very skilled group of Genin. To think they made it in with a simple **Henge**, and clothing change… It is so ridiculously simple that I can hardly believe we never thought of it," mumbled the elder _Onikyodai_, Gozu.

"It is as simple as you said, and yet it does seem like the perfect plan to get in. I believe the only reason we never tried such a plan is that Zabuza-san would likely skin us alive before putting Haku in that situation. There is still the problem of them being vastly out numbered inside the walls. Two Genin against more then a hundred men is not good, and it makes me wonder what their Jonin Sensei was thinking. If anything, I thought she would have venture in with them," mused Meizu as he watched the two Genin be led into a building in the middle of the compound.

For several minutes, nothing happened, but the silence ended when a resounding smack of skin meeting skin was heard, and a shout of "_PERVERT!" _echoed through the night. It was shortly followed by another loud slap, and a man being thrown out of the building. As the Brothers watched, they could have sworn that the man was cradling both cheeks as he stumbled along the wall to his post.

Both were caught by surprise when they heard someone laughing behind them. They did the only thing any trained Shinobi would do, spun around and prepared to strike who ever snuck up on them. They never got the chance to meet their target though, as they suddenly found a kunai to each of their necks.

"Don't worry boys; I'm just enjoying the show my students are putting on. I can only imagine how one of them must have reacted to what just happened," cooed Anko as she removed the weapons from the throats of the Kiri Chunin.

Both men turned around to see the Jonin jump over them, and settle on the top of the tower, looking down in the compound with a pair of binoculars. A smile one her face, as she licked her lips in anticipation of the fire works to come. With out saying another word, both Meizu and Gozu decided to watch the happenings as well.

* * *

**Hinata**

Hinata was still glowing red, even though it had nearly been two hours since the man grabbed her. She was thankful Naruto lashed out at the man for what he did, and she did not hesitate to follow up with her own slap. It was extremely hard for her to keep from liquefying the man's organs, and she was tempted to seek him out and do just that when the mission started.

Now though she was out of her Yukata, and dressed in her mission clothes. Naruto had done the same thing, without another word, slipped out of the room, and started to plant the explosive notes around the compound.

Hinata had already started on her task of waking the other girls up in the room, and making sure they were ready to move out when the next guard changed occurred in twenty minutes. The cellar she was going to lead them to was not far from her current location, and when the shift change occurred, it would be wide open. When that happened, she would have five minutes to move roughly twenty girls/women to the cellar, and take out any guards guarding it swiftly.

She was thankful though that majority of the girls, and women in the room were more then willing to leave the grasp of Gatoh. They were eager to finally be free, and many were brought to tears when they heard someone had finally come to rescue them. The few who wanted to stay, and thought it pointless to fight against Gatoh were quickly converted, or tied up and gagged for the others to move to the cellar safe room.

With her **Byakugan** activated, she could see the guards at the cellar slowly dozing off after a night of fun and drinking. This caused a small smile to come to her lips, as it would only make her job that much easier. She glanced down to her watch and saw that it was only five minutes until the shift changed. Smiling, she turned to the group gathered behind her, and motioned for them to follow her quietly.

The group of women slowly made their way out of the room, and careful not to cause any loud noises, or do anything to attract too much attention to them. This was going to prove easier then Hinata thought, since there was evidently a celebration that night for the upcoming destruction of Sui, or so the women told Hinata.

With Hinata in the lead, and her eyes active and scanning, they managed to make their way into the building housing the entrance to the cellar as if Academy students were guarding it. Motioning for the others to wait in the entrance chamber, Hinata slowly opened the door for the room housing the cellar entrance. She saw the two guards leaning against the wall, eyes closed, and mouths open. On a table nearby were several seemingly empty bottles of liquor, and empty trays of food.

Slipping in, she rushed over to the two men, and swiftly chopped each of them on the backs of their necks, sending them to the floor with a soft _thump_. Going back to the entrance, she waves the other girls in, and sends them down into the cellar. She grabbed two of the self-proclaimed leaders, and made them help her tie the two men up, and search them for weapons. After securing them, they were dragged down into the cellar, and tied to a support column for added safety. With a few parting words, and words of confidence, Hinata went back to the door leading down, and reminded them to lock it up and board it. They were to only open it when they heard her voice again, or the voice of Naruto.

Once outside of the cellar, she stood at the door leading to the outside world and waited. There was only five minutes left before all hell broke loose in the place, and she planned to be ready for anything. It was that feeling that made her keep her **Byakugan** active, and searching for any signs of her teammates.

* * *

**Naruto**

After leaving Hinata, and the women being held prisoner by Gatoh, Naruto started his way towards where the generator is supposed to be. Utilizing his wide range of stealth techniques such as **Henge no Jutsu**, **Kakuremino no Jutsu **(Cloak of Invisibility Technique), and **Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu** (Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique) he had managed to finally make it to the generator room.

He did run into a few problems, but those guards or drunks he came across were quickly buried underground with the only Doton jutsu in his arsenal. If they were guards, they ended up being replaced with a clone, and sent along the patrol route. He had yet to use his kodachi, and ninjato, but once he finished placing the explosives it would only be a matter of time. One of the first people he would visit would be the man that grabbed Hinata, and that was only if Hinata did not get to him first.

Trying not to smile too much, he placed several notes on the generator, and made sure they would be hidden from any prying eyes. Satisfied with his work, he quickly conjured up a Kage Bunshin, and had it Henge into one of the barrels in the room. The sole purpose of the clone was to protect the notes, and set them off when the time came for it.

From there he continued on his way to the front wall, and the store rooms beneath the volley guns. This is where all of his prankster skills, and stealth would be tested. The front wall and main entrance was where most of the guards were concentrated, and most lively. They never relaxed, or indulged themselves in liquor like the ones in less "important" areas. This part of the mission could make or break the entire objective, and would require every ounce of skill he had.

Nodding his head to himself, he started along the shadows of the wall, and when able to, the ceiling. He even had to resort to transforming into small bugs and rodents, and it made for an extremely slow travel from storeroom to storeroom. The most annoying thing about it was keeping out of sight, and dodging the feet of the people moving about.

With each storeroom he rigged, he left a clone there in disguise. Each of them left with specific instruction on what to do, and when to do it. These were his ways of making sure that he had at least two ways to activate the explosive notes. If the clones did not do it at the specified time, then he could always remotely trigger them. He just felt that the clones would help lessen the number of things on his plate of things to do.

As he placed the last few notes, and created his final clone, he smiled to himself. He checked a small digital clock on his wrist, and smiled once again, ten minutes to spare. Now all he had to do was make his way towards the front gate, and wait until the first explosion, and then he could get some sweet revenge.

* * *

**Shikamaru**

Once the others had left the room, Shikamaru dropped his Henge, and made his way towards the back walls of the compound. These walls were not as heavily guarded as the front, but could still cause problems when they needed to get to Gatoh's room, which was near by.

'_I'm glad that Sensei had me work on expanding my reserves, if I hadn't there is no way I could have held that Henge for so long. I still have more then enough Chakra to finish the mission if things go how we expect them to,' _though Shikamaru as he employed the same tactics as Naruto to travel to the back of the complex.

Once he was at the back of the compound, and watching the sleeping guards, he could not help but let out a very Naruto like smile. Many of his targets were sleeping, and drunk off their butts. Creeping along the walls below those men, he easily stretched his shadow up and over the walls, and to the sleeping men. Once he felt the connection of the **Kagemane no Jutsu**, she started on another one that he had only used on practice dummies, **Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu** (Shadow Neck Bind technique).

Starting that technique, small shadowy hands crawled up the bodies of the sleeping men, and slowly started to grasp their throats the hands started to tighten on the throats of the sleeping men, and slowly all signs of life vanished from their forms.

'_I guess I should be glad that I am used to taking the lives of other living things. Father must have had this planned from the beginning when he had me help with the deer. I suppose it helps that I did not have to see their faces like Naruto did with his,'_ thought Shikamaru as he performed his first kills on another living human. Without bothering to check the bodies, he quickly moved down to his next target. He would only have a short amount of time before the fire works started, and so he planned to take care of as many of these posts with stealth as possible. It would make taking other the others in person that much easier.

Looking down at his small watch, he could see that it was just five minutes until the show started, and he only had three posts taken out so far. He was behind his plan schedule for himself, but it could not be helped.

'_This might me more troublesome then I thought,'_ mentally mumbled Shikamaru as his watch beeped, signifying time for the operation to start, 2359.

* * *

**Water Tower**

Anko looked down as her watched beeped, showing 2359 hundred hours. She smiled down at the brothers who looked up to her when they heard the watch beeping. The question in their eyes was enough for her to answer the unasked one.

"Keep watching down there because all hell is about to break loose. The beeping was just a warning that the operation was going to start. In less then a minute you will see what they have been doing for the past two hours," commented Anko as she watched as the two jerked their heads back around to try to discern the work of the Genin.

* * *

**Sui, Tazuna's house**

Inari had stumbled home after his talk with Naruto, and thought about the words of Naruto when they parted.

'_The only way to make each of them proud, and to protect it, is to do everything possible and within your power to keep them safe. If you don't, then what was the point of living? We only truly live when we fight for the things that are worth living for,'_ recalled Inari as he sat on the roof of his home, looking over the small village towards where Team 10 would be.

After he had talked with Naruto, he had went home, hoping to understand what Naruto meant by those words. He was so caught up in trying to understand them that he never heard Tsunami as she welcomed him back home. He never heard Sakura welcome him back, and asked where he had gone. He never did hear the sound of Choji snacking away on his chips. Thankfully, he also never heard the perverted giggles of his grandfather and Kakashi.

The only thing he did when he got home was walk straight up to his room, open his window, and climb out onto the room. From there he looked out to where he had last seen Team 10, and wondered what they were doing. He had no idea how long he sat up there on the roof of his childhood home, and nor did he care. He only realized how long it had been when he felt a cold wind wash over him, and then felt a blanket being wrapped around him from behind.

Shocked at the sudden warmth, he turned around to see Choji moving beside him and sitting down. He never looked at Inari, just sat down, and looked in the same direction Inari was before. The two sat like that for what felt like hours to Inari, and they both enjoyed the silence. It would have gone on for much longer if Inari did not decide to break it.

"Choji-san, what do you know about Naruto," asked Inari as he looked up at the older boy. He could see the Shinobi frown, and then start to smile a few seconds later.

"I don't know much actually. I know during our Academy days he acted like an idiot, and pulled some funny pranks. He was always smiling back then, and didn't look anything like he does now. He changed a lot though since the Academy. He doesn't seem to smile as much any more, but he still seems to be happier then he was then," answered Choji as he pulled out a bag of chips, and offered some to Inari, who declined the offer.

"What about the village, I mean how do they feel about Naruto," questioned Inari again as he looked out over his home. He noticed the scowl on the Genin's face again, and wondered what would cause the large boy to suddenly become angry.

"I don't know why, but many seem to hate him. They look at him almost as if they want to attack him, but they don't. I hate to say it, but even my dad used to hate him for some reason. I don't know what he did to cause that kind of feeling from the villagers, but I know it couldn't have anything to do with his pranks. None of them were ever that bad, but they still act cruelly towards him," answered Choji as he paused in his snacking. He looked over and saw Inari nodding his head, and a small frown and scowl coming across his face.

"How come he talks about how much he loves the village? I mean if he hates the place, why would he want to become a Ninja and protect it. I would think that he would want to run away the first chance he got," thought Inari aloud. He did not realize he said that aloud until he felt Choji shuffle around beside him and start to talk again.

"I know I didn't understand it either at first. I think now though I understand him somewhat. He used to run around smiling and pulling pranks when he was younger to get people's attention. He felt that it was better that they laughed at him then glaring at him. I think then he only wanted people to notice him, be it bad or good. Any kind of attention was better then no attention and I think Naruto had a lot of that since he never knew his parents. Kids used to even pick on him in class about being an orphan and never knowing who his parents were, and Naruto wouldn't do anything but laugh and make dumb jokes," answered Choji, suddenly finding his chips unappealing. Inari stared up at the boy, having some of the news confirmed by Choji, even if the large boy never knew what he was doing.

"Naruto has no family? Then why did he change to the way he is now," asked Inari, leaning forward wanting to hear every word said. Choji smiled at the young boy's eagerness to learn about the enigma known as Naruto.

"Well, I don't know what changed really, but I know he got what he always wanted finally. People started to acknowledge him as a person. The first I think was Iruka-sensei, our academy teacher. He was always hard on Naruto, but I think he only had his best interests involved. The Sandaime Hokage was like a grandfather to all of us, but seemed to pay attention to Naruto particularly. Small words of kindness, or just taking him out to eat ramen, Naruto enjoyed each of them like it was the end of the world.

"Then there was Hinata, who seemed to always acknowledge him as a person, but was always too nervous to go up to him. Something changed though on the day we all graduated, well all of us but one person, Naruto. He failed that day, and managed to show up the next day ready to be placed on a Genin team. I never knew what happened that night, but I think it had something to do with the Forbidden Scroll of Seals being stolen by one of our instructors from the Academy. Naruto may have stopped him, and as a reward, was allowed to graduate. What ever it was though seemed to change Naruto and Hinata over night.

"Since then, Naruto always seemed to be protective of those close to him, and even the village. I remember hearing him say a few times that he would protect the village like his father did, but I never asked him who his father was. Who ever he was though there is one thing for certain, and that is Naruto wants to make him proud by protecting what he protected when he was alive. Even if the village hates him, Naruto would still probably give his life for them," finished Choji as he leaned back on the roof, resting his hands behind his head and starring up at the stars.

Inari sat there soaking in what was said again, and remembering the story that was told by Naruto when he first arrived in Wave. The life Naruto seemed to have lived was exactly like that of the boy in his story. It all matched up with what he overheard from Hinata as well, and yet he still could not figure out why someone would do that.

"Inari, your mom told us about Kaiza one night when you went to bed early. From the story we heard, I could tell that Naruto is a lot like him. Both are willing to put their lives on the line for what they believe in, and do anything to protect those they love. If they died protecting what they loved, I don't think either of them would have any regrets. The only thing they would want is for their loved ones to live a happy life, and not regret what they did. After all, if we regret their actions, then we would be dishonoring their sacrifice. We should continue to live on how they would have wanted. I think your father would have wanted you to run around, and act like the young boy you are. I don't think he would appreciate how you used to mope around before we got here," added Choji as he continued to stargaze. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Inari looking at him, mouth wide open in shock.

Inari quickly shook away his shock and surprise, and a little hint of anger. He was about to say something back to Choji when the large boy suddenly sat straight up, startling the young boy. The earlier mirth and relaxed expression was gone from Choji's face. Now it was a mask of professionalism as he looked across the village.

Before either of them could say a word to the other, they could hear the echoes of explosions from across the small village, and where Team 10 was supposed to be. Both looked and could see a faint red glow, and small billowing black clouds of smoke dancing up into the sky.

Choji slowly started to smile as he watched the smoke rise into the sky. Exactly five minutes later another, larger explosive resounded from the current area of interest. By this time, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura were now on the roof watching the distant flames and smoke dance in the nighttime sky. Light could be seen flickering on all around the small village, everyone wondering what was going on. No one dared to speak a thing, and only watched as people filed into the streets.

"Well, if looks like they have started. Inari, why don't you go wake up your mom and Grandfather, if they aren't up already. Something tells me it will be very hard to sleep tonight," spoke Kakashi, shaking everyone from their stupor. Inari quickly nodded his head, and ran inside through his bedroom window. The sound of him banging on Tazuna's door could be heard on the roof, and the questioning voice of Tsunami just under that. It did not take much longer after that for all the occupants to empty out onto the pier, and look off in the distance.

"Sensei, what is going on? Who is causing all of those explosions," question Sakura as he watched another plume of smoke join the previous three. Sasuke stood waiting for an answer as well, and both watched their Sensei. Neither Genin could get an answer; all they heard from their Sensei was a soft "hmm" as he pulled out his favorite book to read.

Choji had different thoughts though, and he could only hope that all of his friends would come back safely from the dangerous job there were now on.

'_Shika, Naruto, and Hinata, please be safe,"_ thought Choji as he stopped eating and worried about his friends.

* * *

**Hinata**

When she heard the first explosion go off, she quickly raced out the door, and delivered a palm thrust infused with chakra to a man's chest as he tried to stop from running into her. Without checking to see if he was dead, she continued and started to search for other non-combatants, and taking out any guards that came her way.

When the second explosion resounded through the compound, she quickly ducked behind a wall as the guard barracks started to empty. She started to smile as she saw some of the guards turn on their companions, and start to assault them. Many simple slit the throats of the people in front of them, then dispelled the Henge, and started to attack the others men around them.

Still looking forward, she lashed out behind her with a leg thrust, sending the man to the ground. She quickly turned and sent several senbon into the man's body, targeting the heart and lungs. Once again trusting her skills, and eyesight, she continued along the buildings. As she ran around in the shadows, and killed just as well from them, she could hear the thump thump thump thump sound of booted feet pounding across the ground, and along the rooftops.

By now, explosions were happening nearly every two and a half minutes, coming from the front of the back of the compound. People could be heard yelling, and calling out, each of them seeking where they were being attacked from. She could see several clones misleading small groups, and then quickly taking them out once in a dark alley.

She admired his deceptive skills, and was once again pleased that she was on his side, and his team. Even with the **Byakugan**, she was sure if she could handle the onslaught he could wage.

Stopping those thoughts, she paused outside a door, and glanced in with her special eyes. Inside of the small building were several children, and each of them were wearing tattered rags. Slipping in, and trying her best to keep the children from shouting, she spoke out to them.

"Please, there is no need to shout. My friends and I are here to free you, and take you to safety. Please calm down and listen, and I should be able to get you to safety," pleaded Hinata as she looked around at the children. Some of them were no older then her little sister, and others just a little older then herself.

Each of the children stopped their screams on hearing what was the first friendly voice in who knows how long. They all turned to face Hinata, eyes pleading that this was not a dream. Slowly they all realized that it could not be a dream, and they started to gather around their dark haired savior. Some asking for her name and others were wondering if they could see their mommy and or daddy soon.

"Please now, I need you all to stay very quiet, and follow me. I am going to take you some place safe, and then I need to look for others. I will try my best to make sure you will all be reunited with your families. Stay close to me now," commanded Hinata as she activated her eyes once again, and looked around for any guards in her way to the next safe house. Seeing none nearby, she stepped out and motioned for the children to follow her.

They were nearing an area that they had marked as safe when a group of men came running up behind them, four in all. Without wasting any time, Hinata jumped over the children and moved to intercept their pursuers. Yelling at the children to move into the building, and dry good storage room, she prepared to defend them.

The first man she took out with a small barrage of senbon, sending them into his chest, neck and head. He fell to the ground, eyes glazed over as his comrades stomped across his body to get to the slip of a girl who took him down.

One raised a spear and thrust at her, and she quickly spun around it and shattered the shaft with a hard chop. This caused the owner to stumble forward in surprise, and ended up costing him his life as she delivered a hard palm thrust to his chest, and rupturing his heart with the chakra it packed.

A second one raised a katana, and went to drive it into her head. Seeing the attack coming, she quickly rolled backwards and away from the two breathing men. Her hand went down to her senbon holster, and came back empty. Mentally berating herself, she prepared to fight the men to the death.

* * *

**Shikamaru**

He heard the first explosion go off just as planned, and decided to wait for his targets to react. He was under the fifth post at the back of the compound, and could hear the men above him start to stir.

"Crap, someone is dumb enough to attack us," shouted one of the men, waking his partner up with the sound. Both started looking around outside of the wall, and seeing nothing, turned to look at where the generator used to be. By this time, lights were already going out, and left the area bathed in the natural moonlight. This was still more then enough for what Shikamaru needed.

Once again, his shadow raced up and over the wall. He felt the connection of his shadow with those of the two men above him, and quickly used the same technique as he did numerous times minutes before. He could hear and feel the men fighting the technique, but without knowing how to use chakra, it would be useless. A minute later, and both me were face down at their posts, no visible signs of life coming from them.

Deciding to stop with the finesse, and take a page from Naruto's book, he grabbed a handful of kunai, and wrapped them with explosive tags. Climbing up onto the rampart of the wall, he picked out his targets, and threw the kunai with as much accuracy as he could muster. Smiling when he saw one hit a man in the back, he quickly ducked back under the ledge, and waited for the explosions that were seconds away.

Sure enough, the kunai and tags exploded shortly after being launched and caused mass panic. Aside from confusing the guard, it also served to destroy their main weapons, and put them on an even playing field with the Genin of Team 10.

Running down a small alley, he came onto the one of the side "streets" and face to face with a group of seven men. Without waiting to hear their shouts, he ran back into the alley, and prepared another new jutsu, one he knew would come in handy for just this occasion.

He could already hear them charging after him, and so he decided to slow them down with several "warning" kunai and shuriken. As planned, each of the men stopped to avoid the deadly projectiles, and watched as Shikamaru slid to a stop. They watched as his hands flashed through several seals, and then watched as the shadows darkened around him. The darkened shadows raced out towards the group, and right when they were to connect with their shadows, they sprang up like the tentacles of a squid. Each of these tentacles impaled a different man, some were struck in the legs, and others in their chests.

For those unlucky enough to be killed in the first volley, a second one followed right behind, and finished the job. Soon there was no man left standing in the alley except for Shikamaru. He peered over the blooded bodies of his victims, some collapsed against the wall and having slid down leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Some had been unlucky enough o catch a tendril in the head, and had been relieved of the weight atop of their shoulders.

"**Kage Nui** (Shadow Sewing) a bloody success. I have to remember to avoid using this one in the future," grumble Shikamaru as he fought to keep his dinner down. Deciding to continue the way he originally planed to go, he took a risky jump onto the rooftop, and quickly made it back down to the side street.

Following the wall of another one of the many buildings, he paused to check his watch for the next explosions time. Noting he had less then two minutes, he quickly started to wrap more kunai in explosive tags. His target this time was to take out some of the volley guns on the sidewalls.

When he heard the explosion go off, he dashed to the sidewall, and quickly sent his weapons flying once again. Ten second later each of the thrown weapons detonated just as they were supposed to, and took out what he hoped was the volley gun positions. If he missed, it would only serve to help him by causing more mass panic.

Seeing his time on that side of the compound spent, he quickly went to the other side, and hoped to accomplish the same job there.

* * *

**Naruto**

Naruto had made it back to the front gate just in time for a change in the guard. Thankfully, his target was still there, and was being relieved of duty. Naruto decided to follow the thin, bald man, and see what he would get for his trouble. The path he followed the man on was immediately familiar to Naruto, as he just walked it hours before. The man was heading back to where all of the women slaves were supposed to be.

Not liking this, Naruto decided to take the man out as soon as possible. Therefore, with a deep sigh, and a muttered curse, he once again used his **Oiroke no Jutsu**. Dropping down in a dark walkway, he called out to the man.

"Oh mister sexy, why don't you come and keep me company over here," called out Naruto, pulling the sleeve of his Yukata down to show the man some tanned flesh. The distraction did its job as the man moved over to where Naruto was standing, forgetting that the girl in front of him should not be out on the streets right now.

"AH, I see the lovely blonde goddess decided she wants a real man to keep her company eh? Well come on baby, I know how to please a woman," called out the man as Naruto retreated into the shadows. The man followed him in, and was already starting to lower his pants. He was half way into the darkened walkway when he felt a sudden pain in his chest.

The man looked down and saw the handle of a small blade, and gripping it was a gloved hand. He followed the arm up, and could only see the masked face of a dark clothed figure. He tried to speak, but only managed to gurgle as blood started to seep from his mouth.

"I normally don't like killing, but you did something you shouldn't have to a person I care for. Think of this as a divine punishment for that transgression," whispered Naruto as he leaned forward so the man could hear him. With that, he placed a foot on the man's chest, and pulled away, causing blood to fly off the blade of the kodachi, and onto the wall. Naruto never looked back as the man dropped lifelessly down to the ground.

After his small revenge killing, he started towards where he knew a large number of guards would soon be. Just as he got there, he could hear, feel, and see the results of his earlier labors.

The generator room blew up, sending mortar, wood, and an assortment of other debris flying. Along with the typical debris seen when a building blows, Naruto had made sure to add something special, a scroll containing a **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu** (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) that he had sealed during a fight with Sasuke. This would help to incinerate the entire room, and anything else nearby when it was set off.

By this time, Naruto could hear the shouts of people running around, hoping to put out the blaze and find those who were responsible for it. Men started to scatter, and voices could be heard screaming for water and help.

Naruto watched in grim satisfaction as many of his clones started to pop up and slit the throats of other guards. Then they would either continue fighting, or in some rare cases, vanish in clouds of smoke as they were dispelled due to damage. He could already feel the memories coming back to him, and fought the urge to hurl and fall to his knees from the mental backlash.

Grinding his teeth together, he created more clones, and sent them out to play with the guards. By now, he could hear explosions coming from the back of the compound, and guess Shikamaru was blowing those up as well by now. Grimly smiling, he grabbed both of his kodachi from their calf holsters, and unsheathed them the moonlight flickering off the edges of the carbon black blades.

With a quick glance around, he dashed out into the open and towards a group of five who had been running towards his previous hideout. Two clones popped up from the ground beside him, and pulled their blades out as they charged. All three performed the same technique by quickly brining their hands together, **Mikazuki no Mai** (Dance of the Crescent Moon).

All three started to dance around the group, and by this time, others had charged to join their comrades in arms. As the three Narutos danced around, only a slim glint of light could be seen moving around. Several seconds later, two clouds of smoke could be seen on the opposite side of where the fight started, with Naruto resting in the middle on his knees. His blades were dripping a small amount of blood, and were pointing away from his body towards the front.

The people behind him fell to the ground, cries of pain echoing through the night, and spurts of blood staining the ground. Naruto paid no attention, and kept his head bowed down, offering a small silent prayer for their souls. He quickly jumped back into another side alley, barely missing the group of men who came running up to see the carnage.

By now, explosions could be heard all around the compound, and cries of the dieing could be heard. Screams for water, and confusion echoed through the night, and could probably be heard all the way back to Sui.

'_So far so good, but out luck cannot last forever. I just hope we don't run out before we get Gatoh,'_ thought Naruto as he dashed to another section of the compound.

* * *

**Water Tower**

Anko watched, as the explosions started all occurring all over the compound, causing mass chaos to spread throughout the hide away of Gatoh. She could see a single dark form jumping every now and then, and tossing kunai that would later explode. She also saw the streaks of a blade dancing around at times, and them numerous copies of the same person springing from the walls, or from out of the ground.

The one member of her team she could not see was Hinata. It caused her to panic a little at first, but at the same time, she knew that the girl must have been doing her job right. The boys were to act as distractions, and Hinata with her **Byakugan** was to scout for any civilians and escort them to safety. If Anko could see her from here, then the people in the compound would be able to see her. It caused her to slowly calm down, but could never keep her from worrying about someone who could become her sister in-law.

Shaking those thoughts away, she looked down to the _Onikyodai_, and could tell they were a little surprised at what was going on. Smiling, she decided to answer some questions that might be going through their heads.

"The explosions might not seem like the right way to run an assassination mission, but this job became something more then that for us. This has become a liberation mission for my team, and we plan on taking out as many of Gatoh's men as possible. At the same time, they are causing mass panic to allow the female member of my team to remove any non-combatants from the dangerous areas. The two males are running interference, trying to draw some attention away from where she is working.

"The blonde male your friend meet is going to be drawing the most combat out of all of this. As you saw earlier, and you can see right now, he loves the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**. This allows him to be a one man assault force, and he hasn't even removed his weights, or used his Kekkei Genkai yet," commented Anko. She could not help but smile when they looked at her with an incredulous look on their covered faces.

Neither one could believe what the woman just said, but both started to wonder just what this woman put the Genin through to be able to take down an entire compound of men. Granted it was three Shinobi, Genin, but even then, they should not be able to take those numbers by themselves.

"The blonde is wearing weights, and moving around that freely, you must be joking. If the boy is that skilled, he must have been a genius, along with the rest of the team. No rookie Genin would ever be given this kind of job," declared Meizu as he kept his eyes on the burning compound.

"He is right, while I give them credit for the method of entry, there should be no possible way that they could come out of this alive. You may have sent them to their deaths by overestimating their skills," added Gozu. Since both were too busy looking down, and away from Anko, neither of them could see the smile on her face.

"You boys would be surprised at what they can do. Each of them is the heir to their respective clans, and quite capable of doing this job. They compliment each other rather nicely, and have worked themselves to the bones since they graduated nearly six weeks ago. They each have a drive to do great things, and make sure the other one's dreams can come true. One wants to be the Hokage, one wants to become a strong clan head, and the final one wishes for a life where he can sit and watch clouds all day. Big dreams and simple dreams all at the same time, but the one thing they have in common is that they wish to save this village. To save it they need to get to Gatoh, and they will not let anything stop them," firmly stated Anko as she heard a small crackle over a small earphone that was nestled in her ear.

That first crackle was quickly followed by two more, and she added her own to the mix. This was their own signal that phase two of the operation was about to start, and for all members to meet up at the rendezvous point. About this time a blanket of white smoke filled the compound, and caused cried of alarm to spring up from all around the place. Even from up on the water tower Anko could hear Naruto shouting out, **Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** (Mass Shadow Clone Technique).

The Brothers looked on as the smoke cloud was blown away by a coastal wind. Both of them were surprised to see hundred of the darkly clothed male figures all over Gatoh's "palace". The sight of so many of them popping up out of nowhere surprised both of them. Had it not been for their masks being on, both jaws would probably be on the ground by now.

* * *

**Sui**

By now, the streets were filled with the inhabitants of Sui, and each of them were looking towards, or moving towards where all of the explosions were coming from. Murmurs of concern, and questions were being asked, and many of the people came walking up to Kakashi and Tazuna. Despite wishing to be able to answer the questions, they were left with only saying they knew nothing more then everyone else.

The small group of Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and Team 7 were making their way to the side edge of town closest to Gatoh's compound. Even from that spot, they could hear the sounds of battle going on from within the high walls. Blades ringing as they struck each other, the anguished death throw of the dieing. The pained shouts of the wounded and the calls for help to put out fires.

All of that could be heard from where they now stood, and it was a cause for concern for the people who knew that Team 10 was within those walls.

Kakashi was worried that they might have bitten off more then they could chew, and wondered what kind of mood Gatoh would be in come morning. He had glanced around for Anko, knowing she would send the Genin in solo on this mission, and hoped to find out how the mission was going. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that she would not send them in without a way of knowing what was going on.

Sakura was worried about her fellow Konoha Shinobi. She may not have liked them, and thought that they were always trying to insult her Sasuke-kun. That how ever did not mean she would not feel a little bad if they were hurt or injured while on a mission with her. She had even worried about Naruto when he was brought in by Anko and the others three days ago.

Sasuke was more annoyed then worried. He wanted to know why they got the A-Class mission, and not his team. How could they be strong enough to classify for such as mission when he, an Uchiha, was only given a C-Class mission that moved up in ranking only because of unforeseen circumstances.

Choji was worried about his friends, and hoped they would be alright in the chaos they had created. From all of the explosions, and balls of fire, he could only guess that Naruto had created most of the diversions up to this point. From here, he could see a small number of the men within the compound scrambling around, and some even seemed to be trying to flee from the place. With a concerned glance at Kakashi, he decided to voice his concerns.

"Kakashi-sensei, what if some of those men escape? When we leave what is going to stop them from coming back and continuing what Gatoh started," questioned Choji as some of the men seemed to be heading towards them. Choji watched as Kakashi's one visible eye curved into a "u" shape showing his amusement.

"Well Choji, I suppose we can't let that happen. After all, if we did let that happen then we would not be doing a good job of protecting Tazuna," answered Kakashi as he vanished from sight, and appeared holding two unconscious men in his arms.

"We will be rounding up those that escape or try to run from the place. Stay together, and watch each other's backs," ordered Kakashi as he placed his two prisoners down on the ground. He was about to turn to Tazuna, but only saw the back of the man as he was running and telling the villagers to arm themselves, and help in capturing Gatoh's men who run from the compound.

Tsunami and Inari were both worried about the three young Genin inside of those walls. All three of them had touched both of them in their hearts the first day they arrived. Shikamaru may not have said much, or done much, be he was a quiet reminder of a friend willing to listen, and offer advice; his mere presence gave off a comforting aura for the two.

Hinata was like the daughter Tsunami had always wanted, shy and polite. The girl was a blessing around the house, but she was also protective of Inari, and had shown more then a few of the local bullies not to mess with him. She also brought a smile to Tsunami's face, and helped Inari to confront his fear of losing someone he looked up to. This had happened on the day Naruto was brought back unconscious and bloodied, and caused Inari to throw a fit. Hinata had calmed him down to a point where the boy had fallen asleep in her lap.

Naruto was like another son to her, even though she knew very little about him compared to the other Konoha Genin. One thing she did know though was that he was a kind person, and he gave hope back to the people of her country. Inari looked up to him, even if he had only talked to him for a short time while he was awake. One thing she knew for sure was that he had lived a rough life, and yet he still kept going and smiling. He went out of his way to make the people believe in life again, and that counted for a great deal in her book.

Now though, both were powerless to do anything but watch and listen. The only ting left to do besides that was to pray that they came out of this alive.

* * *

**Bridge**

A thick mist started to settle around the bridge, too thick for any of the passing villagers to see through it. It was not as if they cared though, after all, they had a village to protect, and thugs to round up. If anyone would have stopped for more then a few seconds, they might have been able to see two figures slowly walking through the mist, and onto land.

One figure wore black warmers that went form his elbow to his wrist on both arms. He also had on what looked like a standard Jonin vest, with the symbol for Kiri engraved on the shoulder plates. His pants were a similar color to the warmers, and stopped just above his ankles. Around his head was the headband of Kiri, moonlight reflecting off it. His mouth was completely covered by bandages, which also covered majority of his neck. The most distinguishing thing about him though was the massive five-foot long, one-foot wide sword on his back.

The second figure was nearly a foot shorter then the first, with raven black hair tied in a small bun on the top of its head. Around the forehead of this figure was the hitaiate of a Kiri Nin attached to an ice blue clothe. This help to keep the hair out of the person's eyes, and only left two long bangs that framed the face.

Around the small delicate neck of the person was a black velvet choker, and this could barely be seen underneath the turtleneck of the thick gray shirt it wore. The shirt itself was a dull gray, and stretched from the neck, down to the waist, and the sleeves went all the way down to the wrists of the person. The hakama pants were a similar color and design to the shirt, and stopped just below the knees. Over the shirt was a dark blue jacket, with white trim that wrapped around, and hung just above the knees of the person. Around her waist was the mask of a Hunter-nin, with the Kiri symbol engraved on it.

"It seems that your friend has started quite a commotion Haku. If anything, he gets points for being able to make it into Gatoh's compound, but it would be hard for me to judge a person if he was to die there. I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep him waiting, and not to mention I have a score to settle with Gatoh myself," barked the taller figure as he looked down at the one beside him.

"Yes Zabuza-sama, I agree. For some reason though I know he will be alright. I cannot place it, but something inside of me tells me this is true. Perhaps we should meet up with the Brothers, and see what they are doing before we try to confront Gatoh," calmly answered the person known as Haku, as she brought her hands together over her chest.

Zabuza watched the scene, and could only smile, and be glad he seemed to make the right choice. Nodding, he jumped away into the mist, and Haku followed right in his wake. Both started jumping across the rooftops to try to spot the other two members of their family. At the same time though, they were trying to avoid being seen by any villagers, and the other Konoha Shinobi that might still be in the village.

It did not take long for Zabuza to spot what would be the best place to watch the attack on the compound, and he quickly scaled the tower, and settled in beside the two Brothers. Haku followed shortly after him and settled in on the opposite side of them, startling both of the Chunin. Neither of the new arrivals said a word, and just settled for watching the chaos below them.

Anko herself just smiled at the arrival of the two, and could not help but see how trusting a face Haku had when she settled down. At the same time, she could not help but raise an eyebrow at finally being able to see Zabuza in person. She was tempted to introduce herself to the two, but settled on observing her team, and waiting to hear any sign of trouble over the radio.

* * *

**Team 10**

Hinata had found as many non-combatants as possible, and led them to safety. She did not come out of this without her share of cuts and scrapes though. She had come across a group of men when she was leading some elderly groundskeepers to a room similar to the one she left the children in. These men were large and muscular and outnumbered her by seven.

Since she was out of Senbon, and nearly out of kunai and shuriken, she had no choice but to resort to Taijutsu. With the men sporting spears, swords, hammers, and a few bows and arrows she was busy dodging around, and had little chance of counter attacking during the first skirmish.

So grabbing the arrows as they started to fly pass her, she quickly used them as she would a senbon, and managed to eliminate the two archers of the group, leaving her with only six people to confront. With the numbers lowered more, she once again started her dance of death.

Ducking under the spear wielders, and leaving stray strands of hair in her wake for the swords to cut, she charged the two large men that held hammers above their heads. Pirouetting around one that nearly smashed into her, she lashed out and kicked the second man in the stomach, throwing him off balance, and bending over. Following that up with an upwards palm thrust to the nose, breaking it on contact.

From there she flipped backwards, catching the same man in the chin with her foot as she jumped over one of the spear holders. Landing behind the man she quickly sent a spike of chakra into the base of his neck, sending him crumpling down to the ground. Once he was down, she quickly decided to relieve him of his weapon, and kicked it up into her waiting hands, where she spun it around above her heads, and held it in a ready position.

From then on, it became easier for her to combat her opponents, and she made short work of the other spear wielder, and shortly after him, the two-katana totting men fell to her strikes. That only left her with the two hammer totting men, who towered over her by several feet. Discarding the spear, she charged the one she broke the nose of earlier.

This time both of the men was wary of the girls speed and agility, and so they tried to prevent themselves from over extending themselves with their weapons. This worked at first, but soon it became evident to the men that they would never be able to land a blow on her if they did not commit themselves to their attacks.

Therefore, with an indignant cry, the bloody man went to deliver an overhead smash on the girl with his hammer, and missed horribly. Hinata had jumped back at the last second, and used the dust cloud cause by the attack to run up the handle of the weapon and send a chakra enhanced thrust to the top of the man's head, and flipped over him as he crashed to the ground.

She tried not to pay attention as the liquefied brains of the man started to drip out of his nose and ears, and choose to focus on her last remaining opponent. She watched as he looked down to what could possible be his twin, and could see him shaking in rage. So with a feral cry, he charged her, and started swinging his hammer around wildly, destroying the walls and the ground around them.

She was doing a perfect job of dodging until she stumbled over the spear she had discarded minutes ago. She looked up to see the hammer coming down towards her, and quickly flashed through several seals before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the hammer was buried in the gut of the man she had just killed seconds ago. Startled at what happened, the owner of the hammer started to frantically look around for his target.

Without a sound, Hinata jumped on the man's back from behind, and firmly attached herself with a little chakra. Then before the large man could turn and face her, she struck once again at the base of the neck, and sent a jolt of chakra into the spinal column, destroying the nerves, and everything else in the way. She quickly jumped away from his body, and only spared a quick glance as the body started to convulse. After that, she ran towards the meeting place after having heard the signal for the next phase to commence.

Shikamaru had an easy time with most of his opponents, and proved that a Nara could do well in single combat, and when they facing multiple opponents. He had dealt with many of his opponents quickly, and silently, and with out wasting much time. The fires that were running along the outer wall helped him with his mission by casting more shadows throughout the entire compound.

For the times that he needed to do physical combat with an opponent, he would pull out his weapon from his belt. With this, he would either twirl it around above his head, and used the harpoon like end to keep his opponents back. Then when they did not expect it, he would send it flying towards an unsuspecting foe, and impale them. With a quick pull, the weapon would rip out of the person, and back to Shikamaru's side.

This pattern continued off and on for him while he destroyed the weapons lining the sidewalls, and other weapon stores that he could find. After one final fight, which he ended up impaling his opponent with the **Kage Kubi Shibari** again, he clicked his radio sending out the signal to meet up outside of where Gatoh was supposed to be.

Naruto's blood was pumping throughout his body, and his adrenaline was flowing just as well. He was racing between buildings, and his opponents, nothing but a dark blur with out a glint of metal in the moonlight giving him away. Anyone who got in his way was quickly dealt with in the quickest fashion, and that often meant death or severe injuries to those unlucky enough to come across him.

He hated to have to bloody his hands again, but he had little choice in his current situation. Taking the time to try to knock them out could cost him his own life, and with people running around, they were sure to see an unconscious body and revive them. With killing strokes, or injuries to the body that prevented them from rising to combat again left little trouble for Naruto and his friends.

Even with this knowledge, it still caused him to think of himself as the Kyubi, killing without mercy. Add to the fact he could hear the dark whispers of the Kitsune in his mind, asking him to bathe in blood, and you had one nervous blonde. The Demon behind his navel seemed to be enjoying seeing the blood spilled by Naruto, and the havoc being wrought by the boy. In its own sick way, Naruto could tell that the demon was proud of him, which was unsettling to the boy.

The front wall was already nothing but rumble, and had numerous men climbing atop of it trying to get those that were underneath, and many fleeing from the carnage of the compound. Wherever a clone of Naruto was, carnage and destruction was left in its wake. Many went down fighting, while others would end their lives with an explosion, taking the people around it with them. The one thing each of the clones had in common was the fact that they avoided fighting around the buildings. If one were, going to blow itself up, it would lead its pursuers with it into an open area, and then detonate itself.

Naruto had just finished a small group when he heard several bursts of static ring in his ear mounted radio. Quickly throwing the blood off his weapons, he then created a mass of clones, and vanished into the shadows and headed towards the meeting point with Hinata and Shikamaru. Less then a minute later, they were all gathered outside the main building, with Gatoh still inside, hopefully.

Nodding to each other, Shikamaru motioned for Hinata to check behind the walls and door for any guard that may be waiting for them. The dark haired girl silently activated her Doujutsu, and started to scan the building.

She could see guards walking the floors of the ground level, as well as the second floor of the building. Further in she could see the vague form of Gatoh pacing inside of a room, with him were two men who seemed to be trying to calm the man down. Deactivating her eyes, she turned to her two comrades.

"There are roughly forty guards on the ground level patrolling. They are moving in groups of two or threes, and do no not seem to be like what we have run across so far. These are likely his elite guards, and will be harder to deal with then the ones out here. On the second floor, I would guess there to be the same number of men, along with archers and crossbowmen on the rooftop. None of the men are using spears, and it will be close quarters combat through out the building. The only place where it will open up is the main entrance, and the main bedchamber.

"I believe Gatoh is in the main bedchamber, which can be reached by going straight towards the middle of the building. The halls will seem like a maze to most people, but if we stay together, it should be easy enough. In the room with Gatoh, there are only two men, and zero non-combatants at this time," summed up Hinata as she checked around them for any threats. Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding, and started to try to come up with a plan of action.

'_Staying together might be the best thing, but at the same time it makes us an easier target. Close quarters fits Naruto and Hinata, but not me. If we split up, it might be more effective, but at the same time, there would be no one to watch our backs. We could use Naruto's clones, and with them, he could draw the guards to ambush points, but that might take too much time. Naruto is able to watch his own back with his clones, so that means we could send him ahead and meet up with him. There is only one way I know how to get him to the objective before it has a chance to run,_' thought Shikamaru as he turned to face Naruto's back.

"Hey Naruto," called out Shikamaru, gaining his blonde teammate's attention, "you feel like knocking on the door for us? In fact, why not experiment with interior design and demolition," offered Shikamaru with a wry smile that caused the blonde to grin from ear to ear. Taking that as an affirmative, he pressed a small throat mounted button three times, a warning that the roof was about to blow to Anko.

Smiling, Naruto rolled his right shoulder, cracking it, and flexing his fingers; then curling them into a fist. Closing his eyes, he willed the Alter to form. Everything was going normally until a bout of pain came to Naruto, causing him to drop to his knees while the Alter was still forming. Shaking off the hands of his teammates, he started to grind his teeth to keep from screaming. Several seconds later, the light died out, and showed Naruto with his standard armor and three fins.

"Kami that hurt like hell. I have no idea what happened, but it felt like my arm was about to be ripped off," muttered Naruto as he started to stand and flex the fingers of his armor encased arm. Shikamaru and Hinata just nodded, trying to hide their worried looks as best as they could. "Well, I guess its time to knock on the door," Commented Naruto as Shikamaru and Hinata moved off to the sides, and away from where Naruto was about to get to work.

Concentrating, and focusing all the power into his arm, he closed his eyes. With his eyes closed, he could feel the power of his alter pulsating through his body. Now as he focused on it, he could feel it starting to center around the first fin on his back. Even now, he could feel it starting to leak out, and then suddenly the dam holding it back started to crack.

With that feeling Naruto threw his eyes open, and slammed his hand down on the ground, sending him flying into the sky. As he flew up he couldn't help but smile at the freedom this made him feel as the wind blew through his hair. Even as he continued to climb, he could already see the villagers starting to circle the compound, each of them armed with their weapons of choice. The people who ran from the hellhole that Team 10 turned the compound into were quickly meet by the Villagers, or Team 7.

As Naruto reached the apex of his flight, he let the dam holding back the power blow open, and could feel the sudden shift in his momentum as he started to rocket down towards the ground. Now he was smiling like a maniac as he once again felt the joy of the wind whipping past him.

"**Shougeki no Fa-suto Dangan** (Shocking First Bullet)," shouted Naruto as he was about to collide with the roof of the building. Even as he started to crash through it, and the next floor he could hear the startled screams of the guards at his sudden intrusion.

His descent came to a stop as his fist meet solid ground, and dirt, dust and debris flew up around him obscuring him from view. He could hear a shrill nasally voice yelling out orders, and the sounds of weapons being unsheathed. With a nod, he reached to one of his calf holsters and withdrew one of his kodachi, and jumped from the crater he made in the middle of the room.

As he flipped in the air, and landed on the ceiling, he could see three men in the room. One was the person known as Gatoh; the tacky business suit gave him away. The other two looked to be his bodyguards, Waraji and Zori, if Naruto recalled properly. Both of these men had their swords out and in front of them in a guard stance. Naruto was crouched on the ceiling, looking down at the three men in the room. He smiled behind his mask as he started to speak to the three looking up at him.

"Gatoh, I am here on behalf of the people of Sui, and the entire populace of Wave Country. You have been ordered killed for the crimes against this country, and the Country of Fire. You have murdered countless men, women and children, and now it is time to pay for those crimes," spoke Naruto in a calm and cold voice. No one could see his eyes, or face, but just the body posture, and the coldness of his voice told them how serious he was. Each of the men seemed to ignore how young the voice sounded, and instead focused on how they could get away.

"You bastard, you think you can come in here and tell me what to do! I've killed bugs that were tougher then you could ever hope to be you idiot," shouted Gatoh as he started to wave his cane around in the air. Waraji and Zori both flinched at the words of their boss; who seemed to ignore that this person he was yelling at just came crashing through the building like it was nothing.

"Sir, perhaps we should ear the man out, maybe there is a way out of this," whispered Zori from beside Gatoh.

"Why should we, the rest of my men should be here in a matter of seconds, and then we will see who is going to kill who," growled out Gatoh as he stopped acting like the frantic person he truly was. If they could have seen Naruto's face, they might have seen the smile that it now bore.

"Well then Gatoh, allow me to even the number," said Naruto as he jabbed his sword into the ceiling, and form a single seal with his left hand, "**TAJU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU**," shouted Naruto as the entire building was flooded with white smoke. Before the smoke could even clear up, the sounds of fighting could be heard throughout the entire place. This left Gatoh and his two bodyguards looking on in disbelief as each of the clones pulled out their weapons.

* * *

While Naruto was crashing through the rooftop, Shikamaru and Hinata took that as their chance to charge into the building, and take the guards they could by surprise. Thankfully, for them it was a success, as everyone turned towards the crashing noise, and many even started to run towards it.

The halls were lined with lanterns and candles, casting shadows all throughout the building. Smiling to himself as they approached a group of guard, Shikamaru sent out his shadowy tendrils once again, and this time aimed them for the arms of the people in front of him.

As the tendrils struck, the cries of pain could already be heard as many had their arms severed, and others just suffered gaping holes where their elbows should be. None of them had much of a chance to even think about counter attacking as Hinata jumped in the midst of them. Once there she quickly lashed out aiming to disable or knock the people unconscious since most were no longer a threat.

With Hinata as a guide, they quickly made their way down the halls, and managed to avoid, or surprise any of the guards along the way. It was when the two were halfway there that the halls were flooded with a familiar cloud of smoke, causing both of the Genin to stop in their tracks.

"Naruto just had to go overboard; man Gatoh must have really pissed Naruto off for him to make this many," mumbled Shikamaru as he looked at the surrounding Kage Bunshins. From beside him he could hear Hinata's breathing start to pick up, and could imagine she was probably blushing from the close contact with all of the Narutos. Instead of commenting on it, he quickly hit several on the head, allowing them room to breathe.

"Come on Hinata, don't get carried away in your dream world," jabbed Shikamaru, who quickly started running down the hall and clearing a path by knocking out clones. Hinata quickly followed him, and tried to restrain herself from attacking her fellow Genin.

By this time, they were already at the entrance to the main bedchamber, and could hear fighting within the walls. Hinata quickly activated her **Byakugan** and checked the situation inside of the room.

Inside of the room, Naruto was fighting off Gatoh's men, some actually dropping down from the second floor and roof levels to protect their meal ticket. One of the Narutos was still firmly attached to the ceiling and looking down at the others. Every now and then, that Naruto was creating more clones in the room, and then go back to watching the fighting. She stood there and reported to Shikamaru what was happening in real-time for nearly twenty minutes. At that time, Naruto had stopped creating clones, and started talking to the people in the room. She wasn't good at reading lips just yet, and with the masks on it made it hard to do so. She could have enhanced her vision a little more, but that risked seeing through his clothes.

"Sounds like all the fighting has stopped, but with Gatoh still alive, and able to move freely, I doubt Naruto is going to stop," commented Shikamaru as he heard four static bursts over the radio. He stopped what he was going to say to Hinata then, and choose to instead look at hear, wanting to know if she heard the same thing. Her nod was all it took for Shikamaru to start running in the opposite direction, and Hinata was only a few steps behind him as they rushed out of the building.

* * *

**Water Tower**

Anko heard the static burst, and pulled out her binoculars again to watch the main building in the compound. As she watched, she could faintly see a form flipping onto the roof, and then hit the roof to catapult into the sky once again. By now, Zabuza and the others had also pulled out whatever surveillance gear they had on them, and of course, it ended up with nothing useful. Zabuza resorted to asking Anko for a pair of binoculars to see what was going on himself; which was far better then going in person to check. Therefore, it was not a surprise to Zabuza and Haku when they saw the form of Naruto flying up into the sky once again.

"Don't tell me he is going to do the same move again," asked Zabuza as he continued to watch the figure climb into the sky. While he would not admit to being impressed on the outside, on the inside he was shocked that there was such a Kekkei Genkai that could cause so much destruction. When he questioned Anko about it, she would only say that it was his Kekkei Genkai, and never tell them anything else about it.

"Well it is the same thing; but it will have a greater impact this time. If he were to use his second fin while flat on the ground, it would only be three times the damages of his first fin. So he launches into the air like that to add the force of gravity to the propulsion of the power being sent out from his back. When he jumps into the sky like this, he does nearly six times the damage," lectured Anko as she looked on. By now, the entire compound was surrounded by the villagers, and she could see the members of Team 7 helping to stop any of the men from inside from running away. She also could not help but notice the _Onikyodai_ start to twitch with Choji performed the **Nikudan Sensha** (Human Bullet Tank/Meat Tank).

* * *

**Sui**

Kakashi and his team had finished rounding up the few remaining guards outside of the compound, and were now slowly starting to make their way inside. They did not miss the first time Naruto rocketed into the sky, and then watched him plummeting back down. Kakashi was suddenly reminded of when he almost met that attack once, and was glad he didn't have to face it again. Now though, Naruto was doing something Kakashi was sure he would not want to feel. He had suspected that the blonde could perform the attack multiple times, but never knew if the strength varied with each one. So now, he was going to get a front row seat to confirm his hunch.

Motioning for the rest of Team 7 to stop, he pointed up in the sky at Naruto's form. Each of the Genin watched as he climbed higher into the air, and was slowly starting to reach his apex. None of them knew what he was doing, since none had witnessed the attack during any of the raids. Therefore, Sakura did the only thing reasonable to a person in her situation, asked a question.

"Kakashi-sensei, who is that, and what is he doing? I mean how could a Shinobi jump that high into the sky with out a creature or some platform to jump off of," questioned Sakura as she continued watching. The other members of the team were split between looking to Kakashi for an answer, and watching the person that was now starting to fall back towards the earth.

"Hm, well Sakura to answer your first question, I believe that is Naruto, and he appears to be falling. As to how he could jump so high, well I am still trying to figure that part out myself," deadpanned Kakashi as his Genin tried to fight the pressure trying to force them to eat dirt.

* * *

**Team 10**

'_I love this feeling, it makes me feel so free from all the worries that I have in this world,_' thought Naruto as he started down from his climb. This time he was nearly twice as high as he was before, and could see to the coast. He could have sworn that if he was higher he could see the Land of Fire, but put it to the back of his mind for now.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the alter energy flowing through him again, and this time he could feel the power trying to force its way out through the second fin. He planned to do just that, but wanted to wait until he built up more momentum in his fall. When he was 30 feet above the rooftop of Gatoh's home, he threw his eyes open and let the power break free. Instead of a river of power, Naruto felt as if a massive waterfall had just burst open from a century old damn.

Rocketing down with nearly triple the power and speed of the previous attack. Just as he was about to hit again, he shouted out, "**Gekimetsu no Daini Dangan** (Destruction's Second Bullet)."

What followed could only be described as an explosion, as walls and windows were blown out, and the ground shook from the impact of the attack. Furniture was thrown out through windows, and barely missed the fleeing members of Team 10 as they quickly ducked behind another building.

That was when the groaning and creaking sound could be heard. The roof of the building could be seen starting to collapse in on it self. From the stress of both of the attacks, it was a wonder that it stood as long as it did. However, it still surprised the two Konoha Genin when the center of the building started to collapse, and burying their friend at the same time. Both rushed to the disaster area, and would have made it there and started to search if Kakashi did not get in their way.

Hinata was about to argue with him when she suddenly felt the ground starting to shake, and rubble started to roll down off the middle of the building. As if a great volcano was erupting, the rubble in the center of the building flew high into the sky, and bathed in a green and white light was Naruto. Under his left arm was the short form of a man in a tattered black business suit, and on his back was the cut up and bloodied forms of Gatoh's bodyguards.

Everyone watched as the figures flew high into the sky, and then started to plummet back down towards the ground. The light that once silhouetted the figures seemed to be sucked into the now glowing hand of Naruto as gravity started to take over once again. Even as he came towards the ground the people could hear his laughter; the laughter of a child having the most fun of his life. While Naruto was laughing Gatoh was hysterically screaming his head off, and even to the people on the ground, he could be heard begging not to die.

Just like that, Naruto slammed into the ground, right arm first, and with his arm bent still he flipped forward, causing the men on his back to fall. As he flipped through the air, he twisted, and tossed Gatoh over to Kakashi and landed on his feet in front of Hinata and Shikamaru. All he did was smile at the two of them before he fell flat on his back smiling, and his Alter fading away into nothing.

Before Naruto touched the ground, Anko caught him, and then slowly placed him down on his back; carefully brushing the hair out of his eyes and smiling down at him. She was soon joined by Hinata, Shikamaru, Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and nearly the entire village of Sui.

Watching from behind the gathered crowd was the four Kiri Nin, who went unnoticed by the civilians, and only bothered to nod to Kakashi when he started to gather up the three men Naruto dropped off.

Zabuza was busy looking over to where Anko was crouched down, inspecting Naruto of any injuries, and also checking Hinata and Shikamaru. If his face wasn't nearly completely covered in bandages, a person might have been able to see a small blush on his face as he looked at Anko. He quickly shook his head as Haku turned to him with a knowing smile on her face.

He instead decided to focus on the now revealed face of Naruto, and felt his blood freeze in his veins. There was something about the boy that caused him to fear for his life, and he had never had this feeling before; not even when he tried to attack the Mizukage. Something about the whiskers, the crystal blue eyes, and the shining gold hair had him trying to recall a similar face from the Kiri Bingo book he had memorized. Try as he might, he could not recall where he saw a similar image before.

Haku herself had been busy watching Naruto as the greenish white light started to completely fade from his right arm. The light reminded her of something she had seen once before, but she couldn't place where she remembered it from. She was surprised to see that the person on the ground was indeed the blonde monk she had seen earlier that day. Seeing him fight like she did, she knew he was still holding something back. The attacks he did to end the attack were nothing like what destroyed the clearing they met in.

As she watched Anko checking him over, and the relief that was evident in her eyes, as well as Shikamaru's and Hinata's, caused her to smile. Even though she did not know them, she could tell how much they cared for each, just like a family. Even the look on Tsunami's face, and the tears in Inari's eyes showed how much the blonde, Naruto, meant to these people.

Meizu and Gozu were looking around, more importantly at the numerous bodies that littered the area. Several were clearly dead, while others looked to have been merely incapacitated. Stabs in the joints, key muscle groups had been cut. In several cases, they could see senbon used to immobilize opponents. Despite what a normal person may think, not everyone was dead, majority of the people seemed to be rendered unable to move, or continue to fight.

The two looked at each other, and suddenly found themselves reevaluating their views of the three Genin sent in. While three normal Genin should not have been able to handle the numbers, an army of clones could surely help. The largest threat had been taken out in the opening moments of the attack, the volley guns. With them taken out, and no power, the people hired by Gatoh would panic. The confusion would only aide a person who knew how to take advantage of it. The three here seemed to be well versed in just how to cause mass panic, and how to capitalize on the fear that ensued.

"Alright everyone, back up and let me through with him. I'm sure you people have better things to do, like tie up Gatoh's men," yelled Anko as she started to move out of the crowd with Naruto on her back. "Hinata and Shikamaru, continue with what you are supposed to do. Let the people inside of the safe houses know it is okay to come out. Treat any wounds they might have, and get them to their families. Kakashi, you and your team might want to help secure the people who are not dead, yet. Not to mention there are bound to be a number of people trapped in the rubble still alive. I'm taking Naruto to Tazuna's, and having a talk with our new friends," ordered Anko as she started to brush past people, and make her way back to the village.

Hinata hesitated for a few seconds before Shikamaru placed his hand on her shoulder, reminding her of what needed to be done. With a quick nod, she sped off to do as asked; all in hopes of being done quickly to check on Naruto later.

Kakashi looked at his team, and nodded to them, his way of saying do as they were asked to do. With a scowl, Sasuke walked away and started to check bodies for signs of life. To his surprise, there were a number of them, even if the bodies looked bloodied. Villagers started to assist, and would carry the wounded away to be treated, and restrained.

Sakura had planned on going with Sasuke, but decided to look on her own instead. She nearly vomited up her lunch when she came across a group that had been impaled by Shikamaru's jutsu. She quickly ran from that alley and leaned against a wall, hoping to calm her beating hear, and let her stomach settle after that sight.

'_Could they really have done all of this by themselves? Is this what they trained for every time they attacked us on our D-rank missions, and during our training_,' asked Sakura, hoping to find an answer.

"**Those bastards are disgusting! Who ever killed that group in the alley gutted them like fish_,"_**ranted her inner persona. Sakura couldn't help but agree with her inner self for once after seeing that scene. If anything, there were more scenes like that to be found.

Choji had started to move the rubble of the collapsed building, and hoping to find some of the many people buried there. He was still a little amazed at the power of Naruto's Kekkei Genkai, having never seen it used before. Even in all the raids on the other teams, and against his own, Naruto had never used it against them. Seeing the damage it could do, he was happy to never have to face it in a real battle.

As he moved chunks of the wall, and support braces, he absently wondered how his friends were doing. He had heard about how Naruto reacted to killing someone for the first time, and couldn't help but wonder if Hinata and Shikamaru would be okay now that they killed another human. He didn't even try to imagine they did all of this with out killing someone.

Kakashi was walking the grounds, looking over the efforts of Team 10. From the destroyed outer walls, and the warped pieces of metal, he could see what had been the first targets of the group. The guns were the greatest threat, and would have made any other action taken near impossible. How the group managed to get close enough to take those targets out was another question that bounced around, but could wait until a later date to answer.

Right now, he was looking at the work of the Genin. Most of it seemed to be quick and decisive, with them wasting as little time as they could with each opponent. Even for those who were not killed, he could see it would be a long time before they would be able to pick up a weapon again. Aside from the obvious physical wounds, there were the ones caused by Hinata's Juken strikes, but those were mostly in alleyways and breezeways. If there was one thing he could never get over, it was the brain stew that always seemed to mark the aftermath of a chakra infused palm to the head.

'_Anko really taught these kids her profession. I might have questioned their abilities before, but now they look to be a force that I would hate to confront. Those attacks she always had them perform against the other teams seemed to be the perfect training for that group. I just wonder how the other two on the team will handle the blood on their hands after this mission,'_ thought Kakashi as he strolled around the place, almost as if he was at home in such an environment. He was just about to jump onto an intact building when he suddenly heard noises coming from the ground. Quirking his only visible eyebrow, he stopped and put his hear to the ground.

'_Don't tell me they buried someone alive. I know Anko is twisted and all, but I didn't think any of her Genin would be capable of this,'_ and with that though, he thrust a hand into the ground, and started to feel around. To his surprise when he was up to his elbow, he felt nothing but air, and then suddenly he felt another hand grabbing his own. Grasping it, and pulling up, he was a little surprised to see what could only be one of Gatoh's men. He looked frantic, and most of all scared.

Without a second thought, Kakashi bit into his thumb, and wiped the blood on his right hand before running through several hand seals. When he finished, he slammed his hand down on the ground, and called out, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu** (Summoning Technique)," and lines of kanji and script spread out over the ground around him. The strange writing was then obscured by a cloud of smoke, which was soon followed by what sounded like howls of excitement.

As the smoke cleared, anyone looking on could see a small group of canine of all shapes and sizes. Each of them wearing a similar cape to the others, and they could also be seen wearing a Konoha Hitaiate in some fashion. This would not surprise many; Shinobi at least, was when one of the dogs started to talk.

"Yo Kakashi, what's going on around here," asked a small pug like dog as it brought one of its front paws up, almost as if it was waving its hand.

"Well Pakkun, if your nose couldn't tell you already, we are kind of in the middle of a battlefield that just became secure. We are looking for survivors, and for you guys, I need you to look for survivors that have been buried underground with a Doton jutsu. One of the Genin from Team 10 seems to have place them underground in a cell like room, giving them enough air to breath for a couple of hours, I think. Find these people, dig them up, and take them to one of the holding areas that are being built right now," finished Kakashi. He looked down at his summoned nin-ken, and watched as the each took off running, their noses to the ground.

* * *

**Naruto **

Anko, Naruto, Zabuza, Haku, Meizu, and Gozu managed to make it to Tazuna's home with little trouble. Once in, Anko took Naruto up to the room he previously occupied, and started to remove his clothes once again to check for any other wounds. She had just gotten him down to his ramen-decorated boxers when Zabuza walked in with Haku trailing behind him. Once he saw Naruto's state of dress, he quickly turned and pushed Haku out of the room and closed the door. This left Zabuza and the Brothers in the room with Anko and Naruto.

"What happened to the boy," asked Zabuza as he walked up behind Anko. She barely turned her head to acknowledge his words before turning back to Naruto.

"My guess is what ever gave him the strength to burst out of the building like that also drained a large amount of his chakra. Not to mention that his Alter seemed to have changed slightly. The section around his hand had never been that large before (1), not even when he would fire a shot. The only one who could answer what happened though would be Naruto himself. Aside from that, I think the backlash of using so many Kage Bunshins has finally caught up to him. He needs time to sort out the memories, and events each of them went through in that fight," stated Anko as she tucked Naruto under the sheets of the futon. As she did, Zabuza and the brothers watched on, and could see the worry and care she put into each movement.

"Is he someone special to you," questioned Meizu from beside the door, where he could hear Haku asking to be let in, "Yes, you seem to treat him as a loved one, and not just a subordinate like most Jonin would," added Gozu from beside his brother. Zabuza glared at the two, knowing they included him in the rare bunch that cared for those under him, and doing it in front of someone, they didn't know much about.

"Yeah, no one really knows this in Konoha, but he is my little brother. We aren't related by blood; his parents adopted me before he was born. Shortly after he was born he lost both of them, and I had thought he was lost as well when our parents passed away. I never knew he was still alive until it came time for the new Genin teams to be assigned to a Jonin," spoke Anko in a whisper, afraid of letting others outside of the room know of her relationship with Naruto. The Brothers only nodded in understanding, as did Zabuza as he opened the door to let in Haku finally. Right behind Haku was Tsunami, Inari, and Hinata, eager to finally check on Naruto's condition. Shikamaru himself was standing in the doorway, looking on at the happenings within the room.

"You don't need to worry Hinata; he is just suffering from a case of chakra exhaustion and mental backlash, and should be bouncing back in the morning. I'm going to need you and Shikamaru to give me your reports in the morning. Right now I want the two of you to catch some sleep," order Anko as she could see the haggard expression on both Genin's faces. Shikamaru didn't bother to argue as he hung his shoulders, and trudged to the room he shared with Sasuke and Choji.

Hinata had already taken a place beside Naruto, holding his hand, and calmly squeezing it as if to assure that he was okay. Inari was next to Naruto now as well, looking at Naruto, and probably would have stayed there all night had Tsunami not made him go to his room and go back to back. Anko only shook her head before motioning for the others to follow her out of the room, and downstairs to have a nice little chat. Once downstairs, Tsunami who followed them, moved to the kitchen to make up some tea for the group that was now sitting around the small table.

"Well, I guess all we need to talk about are the terms of you heading to Konoha with us. When we get to Konoha, you will have to speak with the Hokage, and may have to face a small session with Morino Ibiki; Zabuza, I'm sure you heard of him. Since you are applying to be part of Konoha, he won't do anything too physical on you, just a mental interrogation with the help of one of the Yamanakas. After that, you will be watched for an undetermined length of time; until all ANBU can view you as trust worthy. The fact that Naruto is bringing you to the village will hold a great deal of sway with the Hokage, Village Council, and ANBU forces.

"Hokage-sama will welcome you with open arms because of his recommendation. The Village Council will treat you like you have the plaque, doubtlessly because they will know they can't place you under their thumb. The ANBU forces will be influenced by your previous deeds, and some will also be influenced by their personal feelings for Naruto, not all of that is good," Anko paused as Tsunami brought some tea and small sandwiches for the group to enjoy. Anko waited until the other woman had went back upstairs, presumably to give Hinata some tea and snacks, and check on Inari.

"Not everyone likes Naruto in our home village; in fact most people hate his guts. I can't tell you why or anything right now, but I can say that if Naruto deems it proper, he will tell you himself. Don't try to pressure him into anything, just let him do it at his own pace. I will say that he likely suffered the same hatred as you Haku, but not for the same reason exactly," added Anko as she surveyed the other four people around the table.

"Hm, I don't think that will be a problem. You know that once Kiri gets word of us joining, they will not be happy with Konoha. Depending on how upset the Mizukage is with me, he could try to declare war, or at least threaten Konoha with it," remarked Zabuza as he continued to watch Anko.

"What could Kiri do to us right now? We might still be weak from the Kyubi attack twelve years ago, but we are still stronger then Kiri. Their constant civil war with the people who have a Kekkei Genkai has severely weakened them. The Water Country is a Nuke-nin paradise right now since both sides don't want to lose any more valuable life. To threaten us with war would be like signing his own death certificate. The Daimyo will also likely side with Konoha in this, knowing his country can not take a war with another Great Shinobi Nation," spoke Anko as she waved her hand in the air, waving off his concern.

"Well then I can only see one other thing to ask, something that Haku is more then likely afraid to ask herself. I think she would like to know if your little brother is taken by the Hyuga, or if he is single," asked Zabuza as he fought back the laughter when he saw Haku's face blushing. The poor girl couldn't even speak a word as she sputtered, and looked just like a fish out of water. Anko by now could see the game Zabuza was playing at, and smiled.

"Well, Hinata has had feelings for him about as long as she has known him, so I don't think she would share him. There are however some other very nice boys around her age that would be smitten by a girl with her looks. Akimichi Choji is a nice person, and would treat her nicely," added Anko seeing Haku's sputtering stop. In her place, Meizu and Gozu looked like they were seething at the comment of Haku and Choji together.

"NO! Our sister will not be seen any where near someone like him," shouted Meizu as he nearly jumped form his chair at Anko. "I would rather slit my own throat then see Haku-chan with him," yelled Gozu before he and Meizu were hit on the head by Haku. By now see was glaring at both of the brothers, and ice was starting to creep up their legs.

"I do not need either one of you telling me who I can and can not like! I will decide for myself who I like, and the next time you two try and tell me what to do, I WILL HURT YOU," growled out Haku as she towered over the quivering forms of the Demon Brothers. Both of the brothers just nodded their heads rapidly in understanding, fearing for their lives. "I don't really like Kao-Naruto-kun. He was just one of the first people to see pass my disguise, and treat me like a normal girl. He didn't try to get under my clothes or anything, but was very polite, and offered me a place to call home," added Haku as she turned to Zabuza and Anko, both of who were fighting not to laugh at her display.

"Of course Haku, of course. I know you haven't been able to act the part of a Kunoichi since you joined my ranks. I promise though that our time in Konoha will be different after we get past all of the formalities. I was a fool to think you would be happy running for your life, and saving my hide all of the time," spoke Zabuza as he lowered his head in an apologetic motion.

"Kami, enough with the hugs and kisses, I would have expected more from you Zabuza. I was expecting a cutthroat, the man who killed the entire class of his year. I guess we both have a soft center though; yours with your "daughter", and mine when I am with Naruto. Our reputations would be ruined if anyone else knew about that," said an exasperated Anko, though she was smiling at the end of the exchange.

Before they could talk any more, the door to the house opened, and let in the tired forms of Team 7 and Tazuna. All of them dirtied, and looking worse for wear. None of them bothered with any pleasantries, and trudged up to their respective rooms, and settled in for a few hours of sleep. Kakashi stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up, and turned to Anko.

"I take it Hinata is in the room with Naruto again, correct? It is amazing that he was able to cause the heiress to the greatest clan in Konoha to fall in love with him. I suppose I will take watch duty tonight; I just got to a good part in my book," said Kakashi with a perverted blush on his face. Said blush and comment were soon followed by a giggle that quickly faded as he looked at the two Kunoichi glaring at him.

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next day, he could feel Hinata's weight on his chest. At the same time, he could also feel something wet on his chest, and when he craned his neck up to look he could see it was from Hinata's tears. Frowning at the sight, he gently shook her to wake her up, and see what had caused her to cry.

As soon as his hand had touched her shoulder, she had bolted upright, and looked around the room. When she saw Naruto awake, she wasted little time in hugging him, nearly crushing his spine while doing it. He only managed to convince her to let him go through a series of coughs and wheezes in Morse code. After being set free, he was about to make his way out of bed, but froze when he realized what he was wearing.

"Say Hinata-chan, would you mind stepping out of the room while I get dressed? Once I'm dressed we can get something to eat, and talk will Sensei. Then I want to talk with you and Shikamaru about last night, and see how you guys feel…"

Hinata nodded her head in understanding, and managed to fight the blush that threatened to spread when she heard him mention _getting dressed_. She had completely forgotten that he might have been stripped down and checked for injuries the night before. So with wobbly legs, she managed to make her way to the door, and stopped when Naruto called out to her.

"Just promise me one thing Hinata-chan, no peeking," joked Naruto who laughed at the sudden redness that came to Hinata's face. The Hyuga wasted little time in throwing the door shut, and numbly walking downstairs to inform the others he was alright.

Once she was gone, he walked over to where his belongings lay piled up and quickly pulled out a scroll that held a number of his practice clothes inside. He quickly got dressed, and started to pack all of his clothes and scrolls back up. He placed his bracers and greaves on underneath his clothes. Once everything was in its place, he decided to keep once thing out for safety purposes, his staff.

As he walked downstairs, he could already hear the commotion of the inhabitants moving about, and the smell of delicious food being cooked up. It wasn't long after that that he was greeted by Tazuna with a slap on the back, and a nod from Kakashi. Zabuza and the Brothers only nodded towards him, and Haku smiled before nodding to him as well. Inari nearly knocked him down when he jumped at Naruto, laughing at being able to surprise him.

Lunch, which was when Naruto finally woke up, was a semi-cheerful affair. Tazuna was singing about being from of Gatoh, and his mood just seemed to be infectious. Even Sasuke seemed to be smiling lightly as the attitude of the drunken old man.

The only people who were not truly happy were Team 10. They would smile, and put on a smile for the people around them, but they were not happy like the others. Each of them had something that was keeping them down, despite the success of the mission.

Shikamaru had been up all night with nightmares. He dreamed of his own shadow running rampant and impaling those close to him, and then turning on him. After seeing how easily it was able to kill and maim Gatoh's men, it shook him up to think of his shadow anything else when he woke up in a pitch-black room in the middle of the night.

Hinata was happy that Naruto was fine, but there was still the fact that she did kill numerous men the night before. Her father had talked to her about it several times, as had Anko, but actually doing it for the first time just seemed to be different then talking about it. It served as a reminder to her that not all aspects of being a Kunoichi were as glorious as some people thought while in the academy. It also served as a reminder that live could be taken away in the blink of an eye, and to cherish every moment you could spend with those you love.

Naruto was affected by it, but in a way, it was not as bad as his teammates. To him what he did the night before was required, and he shouldn't feel too bad about some of the lives he ended. Out of the several men that he ended the lives of, only one he took pleasure in, and that was what affected him the most. The one man he enjoyed killing, as if he was extracting sweet revenge was the one who had tried to fondle Hinata.

Shortly after the quick lunch Team 10 vanished, and could not be found by anyone.

* * *

**Team 10**

Once they were away from the village, and the noises created by the removal of debris, and search for survivors, the four members of the team settled down in a small clearing. From there she took in each of their appearances, and noticed the depression apparent in the eyes of Shikamaru and Hinata.

"Alright kids, time to give me your reports, and don't leave anything out. Afterwards, I'm going to talk to each of you individually, Shikamaru was leader of the mission, you go first," ordered Anko as she sat down roughly on the ground in front of the trio.

With that, Shikamaru detailed the events of the previous night. After that, he was followed by Hinata, and finally Naruto. Each detailed everything from the time the left Anko, to when they all joined together for lunch earlier that day. They left no details out, knowing Anko would get them out one way or another. From individually, in hopes to easing the concerns they had about the deeds of the previous night. So she started with Shikamaru, much to his displeasure.

"Alright Shika, tell me what is bothering you. You might not feel comfortably talking to me, but I'm all you have till we get back to Konoha."

Shikamaru only nodded as he leaned against a tree, and slid down to the ground.

"I was having nightmares last night. In them, I saw my shadow acting on its own, and killing those close to me. Then it turned on me, and started to strangle me, slowly draining the life out of me. It was almost as if I was reliving the scenes form last night, where I did something similar to many of the guards. I thought that since I've had to kill the deer raised by my family at times I would be okay… Now though I feel like I am afraid of my own shadow," muttered Shikamaru as he kept his head down.

"Is that all? Your dad went through the same thing from what I've heard. Since you depend on your shadows for most of your techniques, it is a little more personal for you, almost like the Hyugas. I'm not sure what else I can do except give you the same spill I did with Naruto. You already know all of that though. Have you seen any of the people rescued last night though? How happy they look now that they are free. The women, children, old men, and the villagers have all been liberated from Gatoh. It may seems strange that they take pleasure in another person's misery, but in this case, think of all the crimes that have been committed against the people of Sui, and all of Wave Country.

"You went through a baptism of fire last night, and came out fairly untouched. There have been some people who made their first kills and ended up going nuts, or lost all of their nerves and retired from the life of a Shinobi. Not everyone is cut out to be a Shinobi, and those who aren't often tend to freeze up at the most important time of their lives. For those who can get over this little hump, they have often gone on to lead a great life," commented Anko as she looked over the boy trying to gauge his reaction to her words. However, due to the shadows being cast by the trees, and the sun slowly setting, she could not get a good look at his face.

"Tell you what though; we have a number of skilled Shinobi at Tazuna's right now. Ask them questions about this, and see what they say. If you would like, you could wait until you can talk with your dad about this, since he went through something very similar. For now though, I need to find Hinata, and talk with her. If you want head on back home while I find the two love birds."

Shikamaru only nodded, and started to make his way back to the village, leaving Anko to search for her other two wayward Genin.

She started by just walking around the forest, and searched all around to forest floor within a fifty-foot radius. After cursing them, she started check the trees, hoping to find them there. This continued for nearly an hour before she found the duo together in the canopy of one of the tallest trees in the area. That might have surprised her if she didn't find them the way she did.

Both were obviously sound asleep, with Naruto's head resting against the trunk of the tree. Again, not surprising as most people would fall asleep in a similar way. What was a surprise to her was that Hinata was sitting on Naruto's lap, with her legs hanging over the side of the branch, and with her head resting on Naruto's chest. It almost looked like the two fell asleep while in the middle of hugging the other person.

Going against her better judgment, Anko left the two in their little embrace, deciding to let them have their privacy. This of course was after she took several pictures to tease the two with when they got back home.

* * *

Over the next few days, the bridge construction stopped, and the villagers and the Genin focused on finding the survivors of the attack on Gatoh. Many were found in underground prisons, buried there by Naruto. It surprised many that they were not dead, merely wanting food and water. When Naruto was asked about this, he told everyone that he left an air hole that connected to the surface, allowing them fresh air.

Gatoh and his men were kept in the village, under close guard and tight lock and key. During this time, word had also been sent back to Konoha for a squad of ANBU and Med-nin to come to the village. These were for the security of Gatoh and his men, as well as treating the wounded, and the people who were kept as slaves in the place. They also carried word from the Hokage, stating that any and all security would be undertaken by Konoha, free of charge. All he asked for in return was that his Teams returned home safe and sound when they were able to.

A number of people were surprised to see Wave Country artifacts from the country's past in the cellar where Hinata had taken the first group of civilians. Ancient armors of samurai and warriors from times long forgotten, statues, and riches of all shapes and sizes could be found down there. Along with these precious items was Gatoh's personal vault, where he kept his ill-gotten money; money that was quickly put to proper use.

After a week had gone by, the ANBU and Med-nins were in Wave and supervising everything that was going on. From the medical treatment to the recently freed slaves, to the guarding of, and search for all of Gatoh's men. Gatoh himself had already been taken into Fire Country to stand trial for a large list of crimes that had been compiled by Konoha's ANBU forces.

Since the arrival of the ANBU and Med-nin, the construction of the bridge could finally continue. It had taken them a week after the ANBU forces arrived to finally finish the bridge; mostly due to the more relaxed pace they could work. They no longer had to fear for their lives, and started to take pride in their work once again. They took the time to enjoy the sight of family members laughing, and children running in the street once again.

Like all things though, the good times have to come to an end at some point. For the people of Sui, and the rest of Wave Country, that time was the day that Konoha Teams 7 and 10 had to leave their home. On the morning after the bridge was completed, the people of the village gathered to bide farewell to their saviors.

Team 10, Team 7, Zabuza, Haku, Meizu, and Gozu each stood on the bridge looking back towards the people of Sui. During their time there, each of them had formed a bond with the people of the small village, and the country that housed them. Some of the bonds were stronger for some then they were for others.

The people of Sui stood opposite of them, many smiling, and some with tears in their eyes. No one said anything as the groups just looked at each other in silent appreciation for the things done over the past few weeks. Finally, Tazuna walked forward and extended his hand towards the departing Shinobi.

"I can't say that it has always been a pleasure in the beginning, but in the end I can honestly say it was thanks to all of you that we can now enjoy life once again. To Team 7, I am sorry that I deceived you in the beginning, and I am extremely grateful that you decided to continue on with the mission after you found out. If it had not been for all of you, I might not be here with my family today. So from the bottom of all of our hearts, thank you Kakashi, Sakura, Choji, and Sasuke," shouted Tazuna while bowing his head, an act that was followed by the rest of Sui. Once he finished his bow, he stood up straight again and faced the members of Team 10.

"I feel that I owe the most to the four of you. Besides freeing us from Gatoh's reign, you have also given us something we had lost three years ago, hope. We had lost all hope, and yet you came back and restored our lost dreams. You have given my daughter and grandson reason to smile once again, and have done the same for the rest of the village. Even though you are all still children, you have done something great during this trip. I believe that each of you will be able to accomplish your goals, regardless of how high they may be. I don't think there is anything we could do to show how much we appreciate what you have done for us," declared Tazuna as he once again bowed, but this time he dropped down to his knees, and was mimicked by the rest of the village.

"Get up you old drunk, there is no need to bow like that. We are just Shinobi doing our job. Besides, if I couldn't help you guys out, I could never expect to become a great Hokage one day," yelled Naruto as he started to blush and scratch the back of his head.

"Why do they have to be so troublesome…"

"It was nothing; please there is no need to do this for us."

"Send me some of the best Sake and liquor you guys have every month and call it even!"

Followed up Shikamaru, Hinata, and Anko respectively. Each of them smiling, and in Hinata's case, blushing at the praise they were being given. Once again, Tazuna and the villagers stood up, and returned to looking at their honored guests. Now there wasn't much else to say. The people of Wave didn't know much about Zabuza and his little family, so it made it hard to say goodbye to them.

Zabuza thankfully saved everyone some embarrassment by waving his hand, and walking over the bridge towards Konoha. He was shortly followed by Meizu and Gozu, and Haku followed after giving a nod to her new friends, and waving to Tsunami who had helped her find some proper clothing.

Several minutes later, Team 7 could be seen going down the same path. Before they took their leave, they said their goodbyes to Tazuna and his family.

"Tazuna-san, it has been a pleasure and an honor to be part of building this bridge. Just remember, in the future try not to lie about the danger of a mission," commented Kakashi as he lazily waved goodbye to Tazuna.

"Hn," was all Sasuke said as he turned and followed his Sensei.

"Tazuna-san, Tsunami-san, thank you for letting us stay in your home. I think a learned a great deal during this mission, and some of it is only thanks to your kindness," claimed Sakura as she bowed to each of them before running to catch up with Sasuke and Kakashi.

"I had fun helping with the bridge, it really let me get some extra training in. I think being here only reaffirmed the things I've already known. Thank you though for putting up with my large appetite. Inari, you just remember what we talked about, and you should be good to go," shouted Choji as he laughed merrily and walked over to Inari, and gave him a pat on the back while the boy hugged him. Once that was done, he walked a little ways down the path, waiting for Team 10 to follow him along. Once he was gone, Tazuna and the others turned to Team 10. Tazuna and his family moved forward to the group, out of earshot from the rest of Sui.

"I really don't know what to say to you four. You come here posing something completely different then what you really are, and managed to fool everyone in the village. Yet you still managed to give us a true since of security within your first day here, and I don't think we could have ever asked for anything else."

"My father is right; it has been a true honor to get to know each of you as I have in the time you spent with us. You are all like family to me, and I hope you don't mind me saying that if I was your mother, I would be proud to claim you as my sons or daughter," added Tsunami with tears in her eyes as she hugged each of the Genin.

Anko smiled at the display, and could already see the signs of Naruto trying to fight back tears. Next to him, Hinata was having the same problems, for similar reasons. For her it was the joy of being loved by a mother once again, and also for seeing Naruto finally feeling the joy of a mother's love.

"Thank you Tsunami-san, you have no idea how much that means to me," choked out Naruto as she lowered his head in hopes of preventing them from seeing his tears.

"Naruto-kun, it is ok to cry when you are happy, and I know you can use every ounce of happiness in your life to help make up for the years of sadness you've lived through," whispered Tsunami from in front of Naruto, smiling as he jerked his head up suddenly. "Yes Naruto-kun, I know. A mother has to be capable of seeing through the stories of her children. The pain in your voice as you told that story was evident to any parent there. There would only be a few reasons why you would be pained, and the first is that it was your story. You don't need to worry though, none of us would every say anything to anyone, and we eagerly await the rest of the story," finished Tsunami as she leaned back from hugging him, and placed a gentle kiss on his hitaiate. She then backed away while smiling down at the stunned look on his face. After she had withdrawn, Inari jumped onto Naruto, and hung on him as he hugged the older boy.

"Thank you Nii-san, for everything you did. You are right too. Why go on living if we give up the will to fight for what we want? I think my Otou-san would have wanted me to do like you said, and not mope around like I was before," mumbled Inari as he buried his head in Naruto's chest, fighting back his own set of tears. "Promise you will come back Nii-san, I want to hear more about your story and what you've been up to," added Inari as he let go of Naruto's neck. He quickly backed up to stand beside his mother and grandfather.

"Well it has been grand folks, but we need to get going, our traveling companions are waiting for us and all. I wasn't kidding about the liquor though Old man! So I expect to see some within the month, or I'm coming here and taking your personal stuff," shouted Anko as she started to walk away. The other three started to follow her, and only stopped when Inari called out to Naruto.

"Nii-san, take care of your," here he held out his pinky to Naruto while winking at him. Everyone who saw this started laughing at the boy, and more so when Naruto's tanned face started to turn red from embarrassment. As they continued to walk away, they could hear the catcalls, and cheers of the villagers. These continued until the group was long out of sight, and only then did one of the villagers come up to Tazuna and ask him a question they had all forgotten about.

"So Tazuna, what do you plan to name the bridge? Every great structure has to have a great name to go with it," asked the man innocently. His questioned was shortly followed by the other villagers asking similar ones. Tazuna stood there looking at where everyone had gone, thinking over the name.

"Well, I was thinking the Super Great Awesome Bridge Built by the Super Bridge Builder Tazuna, but that is too long," pondered Tazuna aloud, causing many to laugh at the ridiculous name.

"Father, how about the Great Konoha Bridge? We owe Konoha a great deal for the deeds they have done here," asked Tsunami as she continued looking out over the bridge.

"Hm, I suppose that is better then The Great Naruto Bridge, and it wouldn't give the kid a big head," added Tazuna as an after thought. "Alright then, let's hear it for THE GREAT KONOHA BRIDGE," shouted Tazuna causing everyone around to shout out the same name with him.

* * *

_**A/N: **_I know I said I would have it by the middle of the week, so I am sorry about the delay. I hope you enjoyed the Wave Arc, and the contents within. I hope that it was as fun to read as it was to write. Feel free to leave your cheers and jeers.

(1)- Think of the way the hand is with the 2nd form of Kazuma's Alter in Scryed, and that is how the hand looked on Naruto for that instant.

**Jutsu**

**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu** (Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique)

The user, emerging from the ground below the target area, pulls down (or possibly swaps places with) the opponent so that only their head is above ground. It can also be used to place its victim underneath the Earth for security purposes, or to kill them.

**Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu** (Shadow Neck Bind technique)

After capturing an opponent with the **Kagemane no Jutsu (**Shadow Imitation Technique) the user can then further extend their shadow up to the target's throat in the shape of a hand, which chokes their opponent to death.

**Kage Nui** (Shadow Sewing)

The user of this jutsu can extend their shadow and create multiple tendrils to impale targets. Alternatively, the user can use the tendrils for other tangible purposes, such as restricting an opponent.

**Kakuremino no Jutsu **(Cloak of Invisibility Technique)

This jutsu allows a ninja to take a cloak or a piece of cloth and blend into an object, making them invisible.

**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu** (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)

Utilizing a large amount of chakra, a large ball of flame is exhaled from the user's mouth.

**Mikazuki no Mai** (Dance of the Crescent Moon)

This jutsu creates three **Kage Bunshins** of the user, which attack along with the user in a complicated sword-dancing pattern to confuse the opponent. The swords are also able to extend to any length.

**Shunshin no Jutsu** (Body Flicker Technique)

This jutsu is a high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily boost the user's reflexes. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance between the user and their intended destination.

The Body Flicker technique has various variations among the different hidden villages, all of which involve some extra element aside from the movement itself. The extra element is usually some sort of substance used to distract the opponent.


	7. Past and Future Revealed

-1**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of _Naruto_, s-_CRY-ed_, or _Tenchu_. I only use them for writing this story.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'

* * *

**_

**Author Note:** As many of you may know, I have been busy with my other story** Life of Uzumaki Naruto**. Thankfully, though I have reached the end for that story, and I am free to spend more time on this one. I'm sorry it has been so long since I last updated, and I hope to make it up to everyone.

Now I don't normally do this, but I felt it only proper that I single this person out.

batarde  
2007-03-18  
ch 1, anon. u ass.. u just stole that 'bloodine' from chad in bleach

Batarde, or what ever you name may be. If you would take the time to READ things in the beginning, you would have noticed that the bloodline is **NOT** from Chad from Bleach. It is based on the ability of Kazuma from the series s-CRY-ed. I don't know if you missed it or not, but just incase, let me show you again.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, or **s-CRY-ed. **I merely use them for my own entertainment, and attempt to entertain others with a few concepts from them.

* * *

**Discovering the Past and Glimpse of the Future**

_Hey Catty,_

_I would love to say that this is a normal letter, but it is far from it. I'm afraid I have some grave news, and I thought you would like to know it as soon as possible. I don't know how long it will take your li__ttle messenger summon to find you, so I'll just let you know what the date is. Yesterday was the day that graduating Academy students were assigned a Jonin Sensei, and sadly, I got three twerps that were assigned to me. I don't know how or why, but it seems that I forgot to withdraw my request from all those years ago…_

_I guess by now you are wondering what is so damn important that I would be writing so soon without waiting for your letter. I guess you could say that I found a secret that was hidden from us for years now, and sadly, it pains me to know it. _

_I'm sure you remember that night nearly thirteen years ago that we lost the only thing we could call family. We lost our Kaa-san and Otou-san, but most of all we felt we had lost our little Imouto or Otouto. If only we had been able to watch over Kaa-san, then we would know the truth._

_Our Otouto did not die that day as we had thought. Instead, Otou-san used him to help defeat the great Youma Kyubi. If you haven't figured it out yet the demon was sealed in none other then our little brother Uzumaki Kazama Naruto. Otou-san knew he couldn't defeat such a powerful demon, so he did the only thing possible in his position and sacrificed himself and his son for the protection of the village._

_I only recently found out about him when I was watching them disrupt Kakashi's little bell test, and I witnessed Naru-chan utilizing the Alter ability that comes with his heritage. Seeing him flying down at that Teme Kakashi I was speechless as the rainbow light trailed behind him. It reminded me of the time I first heard that I was actually being adopted by Otou-san and Kaa-san. I once again had someone close by to call family._

_I confronted Naruto after the test, and surprised him when I mentioned the Alter ability. When I continued to tell him, our story I could see him lowering all of his defenses and starting to become teary eyed. I wouldn't blame the kid though; I did the exact same thing when I first met you and the first of our little family. It pissed me of that I didn't know who he was before now, and I can only hope we can make up for lost time in the years to come._

_I was disgusted though with how he was living, and this was before I even found out he was my brother. His apartment was not fit for farm animals to live in, and yet he lived there for nearly eight years and never told anyone about what was happening to him. _

_I feel bad though only now acknowledging him, even though I lived a similar life at his age. I feel like I never cared about him before and only started to pay attention to him when he was to become my Genin. I can tell he is hurt by this, but he still tries to hide it behind a smile. Kami-sama Rin-chan, he looks just like Otou-san at times. He even has a small fan club chasing around after him and a Hyuga seems to have fallen in love with him. _

_I was lucky to get Naru-chan, Hyuga Hinata, and Nara Shikamaru on my team. Shikamaru is just like his dad, but between with Baa-chan (Yoshino) helping he is easy enough to handle. His lazy behavior is going to be one of the first things I break him out of though, and us becoming the next generation of Assassination and Sabotage team he is going to be moving._

_I don't know what else to say… Oh YEAH, That teme Kakashi seems to really hate Naru-chan, and nearly attacked him earlier. That was one of the reasons I sent them to screw with his precious bell test. I hope you get back here soon and beat the shit out of him. I really don't know what you saw in him when you were younger. I'm glad though that you grew out of him and found someone else._

_I think that is all for now. I need to get going to bed for our first official day of training. Please hurry home Rin-chan, I really miss you, and I know Naru-chan would love to see you. Don't worry about those bastards who disowned you, and come back to live with your real family._

_Your ever loving and Annoying Sister,_

_Anko_

This was the tenth time the woman had read the same letter, and each time she still cried out of sadness and happiness. She thought she had lost all hopes of a family nearly fifteen years ago when her own clan disowned her. Therefore, she was surprised when her sensei decided to adopt her, and welcome her into his small family.

The love she felt from his Sensei's wife was like that of a true mother, and was something she hadn't felt since her own mother passed away years before that time. Both of her parents dying while on missions during the war with Iwa left her to the mercy of her animalistic clan. So having someone treat her so nicely was heart warming, and the happiness she felt grew once again when another girl a few years younger then herself was also adopted. From then on, the two girls acted like true sisters and were always there for each other. That was until everything changed in their lives.

Iwa snuck into the village and tried to kidnap the woman who was her mother. Both daughters fought like possessed beings to keep her safe, but in the end, the difference in numbers determined the outcome of the fight. Out of the three, four man squads that came only four members left, and even then, two of them would bear scars for the rest of their lives.

'_I need to quit thinking about that… It has been years since that happened and nearly two months since I got this letter from Anko. I can't wait to see if what she said is true though… Then I'm going to beat the life out of Kakashi,'_ thought the girl with the chestnut brown hair. She was currently walking down a path that led to the massive gates of Konoha, and idly wondering how her few friends would react to her being back in the village. It wasn't long before she arrived at the gate, and was stopped by the guards stationed there.

"Please state your name, business, country, and village of origin. I can already tell by the looks of you that you are a Shinobi, so there is no need to lie," asked a man with dark brown hair done up in a ponytail. The most distinguished thing that the woman noticed was the scar that ran under his eyes and across his nose. Seeing the man in front of her though brought back a few memories from her younger years.

She couldn't help but see a boy who was running around the Academy grounds laughing and playing with other children his age. She could tell that the person in front of her was that same boy, the face and hair was the same, but the scar was the only difference. She could remember a tall man with golden hair talking to the children at the Academy, and she was with him. She stood there in thought as she focused on that memory; knowing that the boy's name had been said at least once in it.

"Dolphin," said the woman sounding more then a little confused at the name. The man across from her blushed slightly at the meaning of his name, but bristled at the same time.

"Ma'am, I don't know who you are but it does seem you at least know who I am," stated the man as he folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking back to when I had seen you before. Please forgive me though my name is Rin, and I used to be a Chunin and now serve as a liaison between Konoha and the Capital," claimed Rin as she tried to apologize and offer her papers to Iruka. The man looked over her papers and checked every detail to ensure that nothing was falsified or forged. Once he was satisfied, he handed the papers back to the strange woman with orange markings on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry about that Rin-san. I didn't recognize you without your Hitaiate, and according to your papers, you are always welcomed in Konoha. I suppose you will want to meet with the Hokage right away."

Rin stood there for several minutes as she cupped her chin in her hand and thought about that. That was the normal procedure for when she returned to Konoha; since majority of the time it had to deal with business from the Daimyo. This time however was mainly personal but she could meet with the old man after she took care of those matters.

"No, but I do have a question for you. From what I remember, the Gate Guards log in every team that comes and leaves Konoha correct," when she got a nod she continued, "I was wondering if by any chance that Mitarashi Anko was still in, or if she was out on a mission," asked the woman. She was surprised however, when the man never even turned back to the logbook that his fellow guard was standing watch over.

"I'm sorry, but they have been gone for the last week or so on a mission. I can't really say to where because of regulations or what kind of mission. If I know the team though they should be back before long, I hope," answered the man, though his voice took on a hint or worry and sadness as he finished. Deciding to ignore the tone of voice, she simple nodded and continued on her way into the village. Before she crossed the threshold into the village though she turned back and called out to Iruka.

"Could you please leave a note for who ever is on duty to inform her that the panther is back," and with those words she continued walking and never looked back at Iruka's confused face.

'_I wonder what you and your team are up to little sister.'

* * *

_

**Wave Country**

The small group heading towards Konoha from the small village of Sui was currently waiting at a small port city when the only adult female started sneezing like crazy. Everyone in the group paused as she continued to sneeze for several minutes until she finally calmed down.

"Someone must really be saying some bad things about me," muttered the dark haired woman as she straightened herself up.

"Want me to try and make a list for you Ayame-chan," muttered a blonde monk. Said monk had to dodge a stone thrown at his head from the dark haired woman currently being called Ayame.

"Stupid monks need to mind their own business," muttered the woman as she finally finished her sneezing fit.

"Now now, there really isn't any need for that kind of behavior," cut in a silver haired man with a single brown eye showing. Seeing he had lost that fight, he silently shook his head as he took in those in the area around him.

He could see Sakura off to the side silently talking with Hinata, who was now wearing her priestess/shrine maiden disguise, and was pleased to see that the two were sort of getting along. After the first few days as a Genin Sakura had been more then a little upset at the defeat from Hinata. Since then Sakura was always on edge and tense when around Hinata.

It was a surprise though when Sakura started to loosen up around Hinata while she was in her disguise, but it was welcomed over the other moods that could have existed. He was amused though when Sakura had asked Hinata about her hobbies while eating lunch one day in Sui. He couldn't help but laugh at the look on Sakura's face when Hinata said she had started to play with poisons from plants, snakes, and other sources. All the tension between them only seemed to shift to another target; one that just happened to be on the other side of Hinata, Haku.

After realizing that Haku was going to be joining them on the way to Konoha, and that Haku was an attractive Kunoichi, Sakura nearly started acting as she did with Ino. The only thing that saved Sakura from complete embarrassment was Hinata playing the peacekeeper, and pointing out that Haku had no interest in Sasuke.

Sasuke was another interesting story. He seemed to exude a dark cloud of contempt when ever he was around the members of Team 10, and even more so around Naruto. The fact that he had been bugging Naruto to fight him, and was only ignored really didn't help his disposition any. Instead of fighting him Naruto would blow him off, and simple respond with ,"Why don't you try beating Shikamaru first, then come see me," which of course caused the Uchiha to blow up several defenseless trees. Jealousy was seen in his eyes every time he looked at the male members of the team.

'_It was funny though watching him get so uptight over losing a game of strategy to Shikamaru. I could have sworn he was going to send a Katon Jutsu at the _Shogi_ board while he was playing him on our last night at Tazuna's,'_ thought Kakashi as he shifted his eyes over to the hooded forms of Meizu, Gozu, and Zabuza.

The Brother's had allowed their masks and gauntlets to be sealed into scroll, and were now traveling along in hooded cloaks, and clothes that would leave them non-descript among the civilian populace they were now among. Even their shaggy hair added to their plebian disguise; the dark brown tunics and faded green pants added to this ruse. He couldn't help but giggle though when they would flinch as they set their eyes on Choji.

Zabuza himself had handed over his sword to Naruto for sealing, and carried the scroll in a pouch on his hip. He now traveled in a similar cloak to the Brother's, but with one minor difference, a higher collared gray tunic to conceal the lower part of his face from those who were shorter then him. The pants he wore were a dark brown, and hand patches stitched over the knees. Add in a little makeup and dirt to change their skin tone or hair color and you have an easy disguise. Overall, if you didn't know who was hiding under the clothes you would hardly believe it was Zabuza or the Demon Brothers.

'_I can see how it is useful for this skill, but I still prefer a good old fashioned Henge,'_ thought Kakashi as he waited for the boat along with the others. While most of the others chatted he had busied himself with watching the things around him, and was still having trouble coming to terms with kids and adults running up to Naruto in his disguise.

Choji also surprised seemed to surprise Kakashi with the way he interacted around Team 10. While with his own team he was quiet, reserved, and hardly spoke to anyone unless they spoke to him first.

"Well it seems our ship has arrived," called out Shikamaru from where he had set up his "stand". He was currently peddling small wares and was starting to pack up as the ship they had been waiting for had finally arrived. Once he had packed up his small shop, he walked slowly over to where the rest of the group from Konoha was waiting. With a small nod Kakashi closed his book with a small twitch of his hand and called out for the group he was "escorting" to follow him.

Shortly after leaving the village of Sui, it had been decided that Team 10 and the group from Kiri would pose as travelers and Team 7 would be acting as escorts to Konoha. This act would continue until they reached the outskirts of Konoha, and then Team 10 would drop their disguises to enter their home village. At the same time, Zabuza and his group would remain in their disguises until they could meet up with the Hokage.

Not long after they gathered up, they were each aboard the ship heading back to the coast of the Fire Country. Once aboard they split up into their little groups again, and this time it seemed that Zabuza was talking with Naruto and Shikamaru, Hinata with the Demon Brothers and Haku, Anko with Choji, and Sakura and Sasuke were left to themselves. This left Kakashi hanging out along the railing of the ship, and ended up causing him to listen into the discussion going on between Naruto and Zabuza.

"You never did tell us why you decided to invite us to join Konoha," asked the cloaked man as he settled in beside Naruto. The blond in question just raised his head and looked around them to see who was nearby. He could see Kakashi listening in and couldn't miss Shikamaru's presence to his left. Nodding he turned back to Zabuza.

"I suppose I haven't, and I may not fully answer that question until we are in a more secure location, like my house. What I will tell you is that I know the life Haku must have gone through, and I'm sure she told you that much. The exact details I can not reveal right now since there are too many ears around us," answered Naruto as he gently nodded his head towards Kakashi and the rest of Team 7.

"Fair enough I suppose, but could you at least give me some information about yourself," reasoned Zabuza as he caught the slight look of distrust and distaste that crossed Naruto's face when he looked at Kakashi and Sasuke.

"What is there to say really? I was the dead last of my Academy class, and failed to graduate three times. On the third time, I could have passed, but my Kekkei Genkai had started to activate the night before and did so again while I tried to perform the **Bunshin no Jutsu**. After that, I was tricked into stealing something from the Hokage as a promise to graduate from the Academy; kind of like a secret test or make up exam.

"Because of that I learned the **Kage Bunshin, Bunshin Daibakuha no Jutsu, **and other techniques involving the **Kage Bunshin**. During that time, the person who tricked me nearly killed two of the people that see me for me. That anger forced me to activate what you saw a few days ago, and ended up with the guy dieing at the hospital later that night," here Naruto paused as he looked around again from under his wide brimmed hat.

Kakashi was still listening in from what he could tell. Sakura and Sasuke were talking in hushed tones and would occasionally look around at the members of Team 10 and the Kiri group. Choji and Anko seemed to be talking about training and the first encounter with the Demon Brothers. Hinata seemed to be talking with the Demon Brothers and Haku about something, but he couldn't tell what exactly the topic was from his current location. Shikamaru was obviously still standing next to him looking out across the small straight towards their home country. It wasn't until he was facing the bow that he decided to continue.

"That night was the happiest and yet the saddest part of my life. I found out why I was hated by most of my village, and finally found out who my parents were. I guess you could say that it was also the first time I had a chance to talk with a true friend," whispered Naruto just loud enough for Zabuza and Shikamaru to pick up. "After that things just seem to have flown by. I was placed on a team with Hinata-chan, Shikamaru and Anko-sensei. Since the first day, she has been a harsh teacher but I think all of the pain she put us through has been worth it. She even called in a few favors from other Jonin and Tokubetsu Jonin to help train us. That is how I learned to handle by kodachi and ninja-to; well that and a side effect of the Kage Bunshin that allows me to gain the experiences done by the clones."

"It's also how I pressured my dad into teaching me some of the more advanced techniques from my family. She also got me interested in Architecture, since that is something that will be needed for our missions. She had me looking over architecture plans to find structural weaknesses and points that can be exploited for our benefit," added Shikamaru as he rocked his head back to stare into the sky that was slowly darkening.

"So what of the Hyuga girl? It is obvious her family has taught her how to utilize the Juken for killing or to disable an opponent. However to use that knowledge with senbon and the accuracy required is a rather drastic change to the Hyuga style of combat," asked Zabuza. After his first sentence, he received a rather cold glare.

"Her name is Hinata and you would do well to remember it; you may also want to make sure to never insult her in front of me again. She is also far different from any other Hyuga you might have known or seen before. She is the opposite of them in the fact that she cares more for protecting her friends and loved ones rather then her dumb clan. She learned how to use Senbon from our sensei, and even learned how to lace majority of her weapons with poisons created from snake venom or herbs," growled out Naruto as he slowly started to clench his hands on the wooden railing around the bow of the ship.

To the right of the blonde Shikamaru could only smile and mentally mumble his favorite phrase, _'Troublesome,'_ while he thought about how the two had been acting the days before they left Sui. He didn't miss them sneaking off into the village or the woods when they thought no one was looking.

Zabuza on the other hand recoiled at the anger he saw in the boy's eyes. Ever since he was formally introduced, the boy he had only seemed like smiles and rainbows, but now it seems he was VERY protective of the female member of his team.

'_Looks like he has fallen for the girl harder then even Anko had thought. She mentioned he had a tough interior, but I would have never thought he would threaten me like that,'_ and after that the trio fell into a semi comfortable silence as they ponder the things said, or the road that was still ahead of them.

* * *

**Hokage**

It wasn't often that the wise old Sandaime Hokage was surprise, but today was proving to be one for the record books.

The first surprise was the field report filled by the ANBU agents that went to Sui to take custody of the Gatoh and his men. It wasn't often that the ANBU praised the work of Rookie Genin, and to have them do so for Team 10 was a pleasant surprise for once. He had his doubts about the team at first, and seeing them perform so well on their first serious mission was a welcomed glimpse into the future. Of course when the ANBU returned with the living body of Gatoh and his main Lieutenants was a small dampener on his good mood.

The mission he had assigned them, Assassination of Gatoh, was a failure. The only problem with that was it seemed that having the short man alive was proving to be more profitable; of course, that was only after the man spent a few hours with Morino Ibiki. With the information that was extracted they would be able to put an end to several criminal groups in and around the Land of Fire, and if they played their cards right, several other costal countries. Therefore, it would seem that the failure of the mission was actually the desired outcome since it would bring a profit to Konoha. It was because of that his second surprise of the week had walked into his old life and gave him a reason to be more then pleased with the outcome of the mission to the small village of Sui.

Some how the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had gotten word about the events unfolding in the Land of Waves, and had sent a representative to Konoha to show his gratitude to the group who opened up and freed the small country. That wasn't the thing what surprised him though, but the envoy he sent to convey his gratitude that surprised him the most.

To see Rin back in Konoha after so long and to see her actually smiling now was what caused him to be surprised. Just like Anko, she had changed after the events of the Kyubi attack and the loss of what she held as family. Being exiled from her blood family and being accepted into the household of her Sensei with open arms had caused her a great deal of happiness. Then to have that surrogate family ripped away by the attack of the demon crushed the girl and made her cold to even her former teammate.

Knowing these things of course caused him to wonder why she had volunteered for the mission she came on. The answer he received ended up surprising him more then he thought it would. He couldn't help but forget how close the two girls had become during their time under the guidance of Kanami and Arashi. To have such an obvious answer come back and slap him in the face was shocking as well. So here, he was with Rin sitting in his office to discuss what to do with the members of Team 10 and the group of Kiri-nin that were going to seek refuge in the Land of Fire and village of Konoha.

"The Lord has no problem with you allowing the group from Kiri to become Shinobi of Konoha. If anything, you will have his full support in strengthening our country. He has kept an eye on Konoha since the Kyubi attack and Uchiha Massacre; and knows how far away we are from reaching our previous strength," stated Rin evenly and she propped her feet up on his desk. "He is also very aware of the information Jiraiya-sama has been funneling you about Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. That is hardly what bothers him though. What bothers him the most is the fact that his own sources have started to dig up information about a possible attack from Iwa in the coming years."

Hearing this caused the Sandaime to frown as he considered the words of the young woman. He was no fool; he knew that the Daimyo would be monitoring Konoha. Any Country would do the same for their military in an effort to keep track of their strength and plans. Many countries in the past had been overthrown because of an over zealous military leader, and so it would make sense that even he would be suspected of such things.

He was also not a big enough fool to think that the Daimyo wouldn't be able to gather such important information as that of Orochimaru and Akatsuki without having a connection to where he got that information. That only left one possible link in the chain of information that could be easily exploited.

"I see that Jiraiya still has a loose tongue around beautiful women and sake. I suppose that one of the few remaining members of the Azuma clan got that information. I intended to allow Zabuza and his group within the ranks of Konoha. I only feared the backlash that may come our way from Kiri and the Land of Water for doing such things. With the backing of Lord Shijimi, I am sure that there will be less paperwork to fill out and a smaller headache when I meet with the council. I am surprised by the news you have brought concerning Iwa, but mostly by the fact that we had no news concerning it," said Sarutobi as he frowned slightly with the last bit of news.

"Yes, I do hate Iwa with every fiber of my being… I wanted that mission more then anything else, but they ensured that I wouldn't be leaving the compound until after the mission was completed. All I wished to do was settle the score, and kill the man responsible for Kaa-chan's death. Did you know the man became the new Tsuchikage was one of the men that survived that attack? He even managed to survive Sensei's attack, but only because Kaa-chan needed medical help as soon as possible. That man's life was on the fast lane to success after word spread he survived an attack by the Yellow Flash, and was able to infiltrate Konoha," growled Rin as she started to grind her teeth in anger.

That was the source of her anger over the years as well. She was upset that Konoha had done nothing when Kanami was kidnapped. She had never forgotten that and probably would never be able to until she could settle her personal vendetta with the men who took part in the attack. In a way, she reminded him of himself and his oath to rid the world of Orochimaru when he managed to get the chance.

"Aside from the formalities, I'm sure there is a more personal reason you have decided to come to Konoha," asked the Hokage as he leaned back in his chair slightly and started to go through the motions of filling and lighting his pipe.

"It wasn't like I was trying to hide my feelings or anything, but yes there is another reason as to why I am here. I'm here to visit Anko-chan and my Otouto that I've missed for nearly thirteen years. Anko didn't tell me much about him in her latest letter, but I've gathered some things about him while walking around town," answered Rin as she took her feet off his desk and settled her eyes on the man in front of her.

"So Rikimaru and the others are bound to be here in the village I take it. You know who Naruto is and what he contains so I won't bother you with repeating that. Rikimaru has probably already told you about his life up until he graduated as well, and how things have branched out from there. Other then that I'm not sure what you would want from and old man."

"Why," asked the woman as she hung her head. The question was nothing more then a whisper, and far from the ordinary confident tone she was using in their previous topics.

"Why didn't you tell us that he was still alive? We could have taken him in and protected him from the hatred of the village. We could have taken him with us to live with the Azuma clan if you had said something. Even Rikimaru-Sensei knew who he was but never said anything to us. He wouldn't say anything about Konoha unless it was about business, but I had to force him to tell me the truth when I got Anko's latest letter. So why didn't you let us protect him," asked the woman again with barely suppressed anger. The tension in the room started to thicken as her face started to take on a feral look; one very similar to those of the Inuzuka clan.

"I was only following the will of Arashi. He wanted me to protect the identity of Naruto until his Kekkei Genkai awakened and I did so. Had I mentioned who Naruto was any sooner in his life, there is no telling who might have come looking for him. Not only that but would the village believe such information? No one knew of Kanami's condition except for Jiraiya, Tsunade, Arashi, Hiashi, and I at first. You two only found out after seeing Arashi bring her to the hospital when the Kyubi was attacking.

"There were a few who suspected the lineage of Naruto, but I could never stop such speculation given how similar they look. Fugaku was one of the people able to make such assumptions, and because of that pushed to make Naruto a weapon of war. During this time, the Police Force was far harsher on Naruto then needed. Ironically though this was all just before the Uchiha Massacre," hinted Sarutobi as he leaned forward and tented his hands before resting his chin on them.

"Why would he do that," questioned Rin. She could hardly believe that a clan like the Uchiha would be so cruel. Hearing this small bit of news started to make her pleased with what Itachi had done. Even now though no one knew just why Itachi decided to destroy his clan.

"That my child is sadly easy to explain. Fugaku saw Naruto as a weapon to be wielded and used by Konoha. Fugaku was also a very proud man and could hardly stand being bested by someone from a small clan like Arashi. To see the only living legacy of that man alive and well, and housing an entity like the Kyubi was a very sore spot for him. Since he could never get even with Arashi in life, he decided to get even with him the only way he could. Many of the Uchiha felt the same way but many only saw Naruto as the Kyubi.

"Because Fugaku was head of the clan, they would do anything to please him. There was only one exception to this and that was only because the boy was smarter then Fugaku ever gave him credit for. Uchiha Itachi seemed to have seen everything around him, and was a very nosey boy when it came to reading scrolls on his father's desk. He saw the actions of Arashi as what a Shinobi of the Leaf Village should be, and he wished to model himself after Arashi," said Sarutobi as he paused again. This time he was looking at the picture of the Yondaime on the wall opposite of his desk.

Rin was sitting there with an open mouth at the news she was given. Given what Itachi had done, she could hardly see how he would want to become like the Yondaime. To kill an entire clan, and only spare your little brother… There had to be something more to story that no one was telling her. Before she could voice her questions though the Sandaime had already started to speak once again.

"Enough about the Uchiha though. There is a greater threat then them right now. Danzo and Ne had also made the same assumption and made moves to attempt to recruit him into their fold. The might very well have succeeded had it not been for the interference of Jiraiya when young Naruto was at his weakest. Jiraiya gave Naruto a mission, and Naruto did everything he could to complete every goal of that mission. He also gave Naruto scrolls on seals, and training methods that he once used with Arashi. Of course Naruto never knew who was giving him these gifts, but having someone see some value in him was more then enough for his childish mind at the time," added the Hokage as he let out a cloud of smoke.

Rin for the most part sat there slightly confused and overwhelmed with some of the information she was just told. Some of the things said she did not know about for once, and that was surprising seeing how accurate the last surviving members of the Azuma clan were with information gathering. If anything the information around Naruto was strangely accurate thanks to the work of Rikimaru, and the fact that he may have missed such things surprised her.

The information of the inner workings of other parts of Konoha seemed to be lacking now that she thought about it. There was never anything about the Uchiha mistreating Naruto, or anything to confirm or deny anything the Sandaime had just stated about Itachi. There was slightly more information about the other clans of Konoha, but when she thought about the Uchiha things just seemed to be incomplete.

'_Or, he could have purposely left that out of his scrolls to make sure I never found out about it. He already seemed to know how upset I was when I stormed into his room with Anko's letter. The bastard even had the nerve to tell me he was expecting me! He is hiding something from me and I want to know what it is. Rikimaru-sensei you better find a nice dark hole to hide from me in.'_

"I see, I suppose that does change some things, but that still doesn't change the fact that I'm pissed. The one person I would have expected to see the similarities seemed to have also been one of the biggest asses to Naruto. So the second he sets foot in the village I'm going to make him scream," stated Rin firmly as she got up to leave the office. Even as she turned her back to the Hokage, he could see the smile that normally adorned Anko's visage to appear.

"That is of course if Rikimaru-sensei doesn't get to them first," called out Rin from over her shoulder as she walked out his office doors. The Sandaime only sat there afraid of what might happen if Kakashi still held the same views of Naruto as he did when they last spoke to each other.

* * *

**Fire Country**

The small group from Sui had decided to finally set up camp a few miles from the coastal region of Fire Country, and were currently setting up their tents and settling in for the night. They had decided to set up a small night watch with two people per shift. The way the shifts were set up didn't surprise anyone; with Hinata and Naruto on a shift together and Sakura jumping at a chance to be on the same shift as Sasuke.

Currently everyone was gathered around the small campfire that was built to cook the evening meal over. With fish roasting, stew brewing, and a small kettle of tea piping away the group settled around for their dinner.

"One of the first things I'm going to do when we get back is take a nice long soak in one of the onsen," declared Sakura as she settled down beside Choji and Sasuke. "What do you plan on doing when we get back to Konoha Sasuke," asked the girl as she looked to the raven-haired boy to her left.

Sasuke just sat there looking at her, and then slowly turned his attention towards where Naruto sat talking quietly with Hinata. Even as his eyes turned towards Zabuza, Haku, Shikamaru, Anko and the Demon brothers they started to narrow more and more until they came to Naruto again.

"I plan on training as soon as we get back," was all Sasuke said before sipping his tea and ignoring everything else around him. Frowning, Sakura turned towards Choji with a questioning look in her eyes, hoping she could at least get him to talk to her.

"I think I'm going to head home and rest first. After that, maybe spend some time with my friends and train. I still need to perfect some Jutsu too so I'll be bugging my dad to help me out," answered Choji as he noticed Sakura looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei, what about you," asked Sakura as she looked towards her masked leader. Even after having spent six weeks with the man they still knew very little about him.

"Hm, oh me, well I suppose I may catch up on my reading. I think the author of my favorite series released a new book while we were away," answered Kakashi from behind the pages of his little orange book. Hearing this only caused Anko to scoff as she decided to enter the conversation.

"You are so lame Kakashi; I'm surprised you haven't bored your Genin to death yet. I mean have you even bothered to make sure they have the proper supplies. Looking at how ill prepared Sasuke and Sakura are; it seems like you never covered mission packs, or bothered to get them proper attire for missions outside of Konoha," chimed in Anko as she picked her teeth with the stick that once held her roasted fish.

"We covered that in the Academy though! So why should Kakashi-sensei have to cover it," questioned Sakura.

"What you learn in the Academy is different from what is really needed on missions. Take you for example Sakura, your pink hair causes you to stand out drastically in the forests of Konoha. Even on an escort mission, you should be prepared for ambushes from enemy Shinobi. That is one of the main reasons I have Naruto cover up his bright blonde hair, and why I've made sure they had clothing to blend in with most areas that a Konoha-nin may be sent to. Your clothes also make you stand out right now, and would make you an easy target for any Nin that was after us.

"I'm not saying he needs to hold you hands, but he should take the initiative to correct those types of problems. I handled that the first few days I was with my team, and I would expect something similar from someone who used to be an ANBU captain. To sum things up for you Sakura, what if you had to run and hide with the client in order to protect him. With your hair color and clothing, you wouldn't be able to hide any where without severely limiting your own options." finished Anko as she started to poke the campfire.

Kakashi was now starting to sweat as Sakura looked over at him with murder in her eyes, and even Sasuke seemed to be showing more emotion with those words then he had previously. The thoughts of the Genin were far from similar though.

'_WHAT! I could have been killed because he was too busy reading his PREVERTED BOOKS! _**I'll show him when I shove one of those books where the sun don't shine!**_ Oh yeah, that'll teach him,'_ ranted Sakura as steam seemed to come from her ears and all the blood rushed to her face in anger.

'_Because of him I have an incompetent team member, and that is only going to slow me down. At least that woman changed the dummy and the others into an effective unit. Why do I have such a pathetic Jonin as a sensei? The only thing he could possibly teach me is how to use the Sharingan,'_ were the thoughts of Sasuke as his mind continued to warp things around to his twisted perspective. He was slowly starting wish wonder why Anko wasn't on his team. He wasn't dumb enough to believe he was stronger then Naruto, not after seeing the display of power in Sui, but he was slowly setting himself up to discover just how Naruto became so strong. In doing so, he hoped he could gain the same power as the blond.

Even then though Sasuke could vaguely remember reading about something similar in his clan's library. At the time he scoffed at the idea of someone being stronger the then Uchiha and still does to an extent now. After seeing what Naruto and his team did though, he was questioning the belief in his clan's strength. Having faced someone who was thought to have been the weakest Hyuga and being defeated tended to do that to a person. Also losing to the laziest person in his class in a single move added to his annoyance. The straw that nearly broke his back though was the leaps and bounds that Naruto seemed to take in skill after leaving the Academy.

"Well um… You see… would you like at the time, time to turn in," stuttered Kakashi as he started to stand and head for his tent. Even as he walked away, he could feel the heated gaze of two of his Genin. Behind him, he could hear the snickering of Naruto and Anko as he ducked into the tent he was going to be sure to stay in until his watch shift.

Back at the campfire, the members of Team 10 and the Kiri group were still snickering at the abrupt retreat of the legendary Copy-nin Kakashi. Never before did Zabuza expect to see someone like Kakashi to retreat so quickly from a bunch of Genin.

'_To be honest though, I'd do the same thing if Haku was upset with me,'_ mentally muttered the tall man as he looked at his surrogate daughter.

"So Naruto, what do you want to do when we get back to Konoha," asked Choji as he tried to lightened the mood some. His plan seemed to work as Sakura quit glaring at where Kakashi had walked off to, and Sasuke quickly turned to see what his "rival" would do in his down time.

That was how most of the night passed until slowly people drifted off to their tents for a few hours of sleep before their respective watch shift. The first of the Genin to wander off to bed was Hinata and Naruto, having the shift around midnight. Choji and Shikamaru soon followed them, and they were closely followed by Sakura and Sasuke. Not long after that there was only Zabuza and Anko left with the first watch as their charges went to bed. The two Jonin sat quietly with their back to the remainder of the campfire. They had the first watch, and would wake then wake up Naruto and Hinata for their watch at midnight.

"You never said what you were looking forward to once you got back to Konoha," stated Zabuza as the remaining embers finally blacked out for the night.

"To be honest I hope that a certain person will be waiting for me when I get back," answered Anko with what sounded like a wishful voice.

Zabuza was thankful that she had her back to him; because if she could see his face or under his hood, she would have seen a flash of anger and remorse cross the "Devil's" face. Instead of responding vocally, he just grunted in response as he pulled a small knife out to start to carve away on a piece of left over firewood.

From where she was sitting Anko could hear Zabuza going at it with the defenseless piece of wood. To her it almost seemed as if he was angry over her expecting to see Rin when they got to Konoha. She couldn't figure out what reasons he would have for such feelings unless…

'_Does he think I'm talking about some man and not something else? As far as he knows, I could have a pet waiting for me back in the village. Maybe I could have some fun with this,'_ thought Anko as she started to smile.

"The first thing I'm going to do when I get back and meet up with the person is go to the Onsen and take a nice long luxurious soak. Maybe give each other a message to relieve the stress of our duties. I can already feel those nimble fingers working the kinks out of my muscles as the work their way slowly down my back," said Anko as she started to stretch her body and purr at the thoughts. Even as she did, she could hear the crack of the wood as Zabuza broke it in his hands. She could even hear him swearing under his breath as he tried to remove splinters from his now bleeding and cut hand.

'_Damn woman teasing me like this. Is that all she has been doing since we met, teasing me,'_ growled Zabuza as he started to pull the splinters out and bandaging his bloody hand. He was so caught up in his curses that he never heard Anko fighting back her laughter.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

Naruto and Hinata had taken over the night watch right on time, and could see the strain between Zabuza and Anko when they did. It almost seemed comical to see the feared Zabuza tripping over his own feet, and muttering curses to some imaginary person. To find out what was bothering Zabuza only caused the duo to laugh even more once they were alone on watch duty.

"Nee-chan can be mean at times, but I'm sure you know that already," said Naruto as he settled in with his back pressed against Hinata's back.

"Yes she is, but males in general tend to be blind to the feelings of the opposite gender," replied Hinata as she smiled smugly. She could feel Naruto flinch at her words, and could already picture him pouting.

"How many times do I have to say that I'm sorry? Even if I had known sooner, could you imagine the things you would have gone through," asked Naruto, his tone of voice showing how depressed he was with the current change of topic.

"Just until I decide you've suffered enough is all," stated Hinata evenly, even though she was trying her best to keep from laughing. When she felt his shoulder slump, and felt him throw his arms up in defeat, she had to smother her mouth with her hands to keep her fit of laughter from escaping.

After that first bout of conversation, they lapsed into silence. They talked about the village of Sui and the cooking of Tsunami, about their time spent with Inari, and the times they spent with the children of the village. To them it felt like a second home, even though they only spent a few days in the small village. In that time they managed to gain what they never felt they could find in their own home village, respect.

When they entered Sui, they brought hope back to the small desolate town and when they left it life had been restored. The heavy mist of the morning no longer seemed dreary to the occupants, and always seemed to be filled with the hopes of a new day. People no longer feared being outside at night or having to keep constant watch on their homes and families.

In short, they had found something that both Naruto and Hinata had longed for. For years, the two had sought to be acknowledged by their village and family, and yet they always managed to fail because of one thing or another. How ever, in Sui they were relatively unknown when they arrived, and from then on, they carved a name for themselves.

In Konoha, people had already written out their names and what was expected of them. Naruto was supposed to be the demon child who was the bane to Konoha's existence. Hinata was the princess of the greatest clan in Konoha, and expected to be perfect in every way. Because of those views, they were outcast for not being able to conform to what others wanted. Two people so vastly different and from different walks of life, and yet they were very similar in what they had to endure in their life. That bond drew them closer and closer together once they found the truth behind each other's exterior.

While mulling these things over in his mind, Naruto never noticed the faint cloud that came into the camp along the ground. To be exact he did notice it but passed it off as fog coming in from the coast. Had he been paying closer attention he would have noticed Hinata's breathing had slowed down, and that she had slumped down against his back. As it was though, he never noticed until he tried to talk with his female friend.

"Hey Hinata when we get back to Konoha, want to have a team night out to celebrate our mission," asked Naruto. He waited several minutes for her to respond, but never heard a peep come out of her. Frowning and thinking she was ignoring him because of earlier he started to turn around, but stopped when Hinata feel backwards when he quit support her.

Worried, he quickly turned around completely and started to try to wake her up. As he tried shaking her and lightly slapping her cheeks, he realized she wasn't waking up. Having spent nights camping out before he knew she wasn't that deep of a sleep.

'_Did someone poison her somehow? I don't see any sign of a poison being introduced through her skin. If the food and water had been poisoned I would have noticed by now,' it was only then that he realized something he had forgotten about._ He was so used to it he hardly paid attention to the fact that most of his injuries and other illnesses healed almost instantly.

With that thought, he quickly ran to all of the other tents to check on the people sleeping within them. Each time he opened one he found the members of the group in a deep sleep. Even the Jonin members of the group were sleeping soundly and never moved when he flung open the tents.

Worried he quickly went back to Hinata only to see a man with short-cropped matted silver hair standing over her body. Looking him over from head to toe quickly, Naruto could see a vertical scar over his right eye. He wore a mask similar to Kakashi's that kept his nose down to his shoulder from view, and seemed to be just a little taller then the infamous Copy-Nin Kakashi. The rest of his clothes were a style similar to what Naruto had also selected but seemed to suit this man far better. He wore a short-sleeved loose shirt with metal mesh for sleeves that went down to his elbows. From there the rest of his arms were covered with metal arm guards. (_Think of what you normally picture when you think of Ninjas with a few changes._)

Naruto quickly stopped his evaluation though the second he saw the Ninja-to strapped to the man's back, and the kunai in his hands. Seeing the weapons, he quickly dropped into a defensive stance and pulled out his kodachi. Once prepared he narrowed his eyes at the man who loomed over Hinata's prone form.

"You better get away from her before I send you flying," whispered Naruto, just loud enough for the man to hear. The only sign that showed the man had heard his words was a slight shift in the material of the mask.

"If I don't, do you plan on using your Alter on me Mr. Shell Bullet," asked the man in a deep voice. Just hearing the voice seemed to send shivers down Naruto's spine as he tried to focus on the events in front of him.

'_He knows about my alter and what I wanted to call it; so he is skilled at infiltration and information gathering. He obviously used some kind of poison, and I should kick myself for not noticing this strange fog or smoke sooner. The fact that no one seemed to have sensed him means he is going to be near impossible for me to beat on my own. So what does that leave me with,'_ thought Naruto as he slowly started to circle the man. He planned to place himself between the strange man and the others in the tents, and hoped he would then get a chance to move Hinata to safety in the coming fight.

"There is no need to fight with me _fishcake_. I mean no harm to you or your friends," called out the man in a tone that seemed to make him _want_ to lay down his weapons. "I merely knocked them out so that I could speak with you in private, and believe me you will be pleased that I did so once we are done," added the man as he could see the skeptical look cross Naruto's face.

"How do I know you want stab me in the back the second I let my guard down," challenged Naruto.

"If I wanted you are any of the others dead you would be dead by now. I have made no hostile moves towards your girlfriend since you noticed me now have I," answered the man as he stowed his kunai away and walked away from Hinata's prone form. Once he was on the opposite side of the extinguished campfire, Naruto moved to Hinata's side and carefully moved her behind him before he sat opposite of the tall man.

"Since you know who I am, how about telling me who you are," asked Naruto tersely as he settled in. Even though the masked man claimed he meant no harm Naruto was not going to let his guard down.

"The only thing you need to know right now is that I am an old friend of your father's. I'm one of the many he has asked to look after you once you discovered your heritage, and one of the few asked to help keep who you are a secret from his enemies. That is partly why I am here tonight," answered the silver haired man.

Frowning at not getting a name, Naruto just nodded his head in understanding. From his experience with Anko though, not knowing the name of his 'opponent' in a verbal conflict gave the man an edge in the coming talks. Seeing Naruto's annoyance with the situation caused the tall man to smile beneath his mask.

'_Even his facial expression reminded me of you Arashi. If only you and Kanami could be here right now to see how much he has grown.'_

"If it will help you though, you may call me _Chikara_ (Strength)," stated the man who smiled at the relaxed expression that crossed Naruto's face before he schooled it. Even with the name, though the man known as Chikara still held the advantage over Naruto.

"First I would like to say that I am sorry your mission was a failure," started the man again, but was quickly cut off as Naruto jumped to his feet in anger.

"What the hell do you mean we failed," growled out Naruto as he fought the urge to weapon for his weapons.

"Your mission was to kill Gatoh, and you failed to do that. I do know that the Hokage plans to tack on several other mission objectives to your original one. So in the end you will have only failed one objective, which may not even be true depending on how Sarutobi decides to word it," stated the man evenly soothing Naruto's nerves, and placating his anger and ego.

'_Freaking bastard acts like the mission was only about kill Gatoh! The people of Wave and Sui needed our help, and I could care less if I didn't kill the bastard. I know he will see justice now and there is no chance he will ever hurt anyone again,'_ thought Naruto angrily as he settled back down.

"The next thing I want to say is that in the coming months you will be tested by several circumstances that are beyond control. You will be targeted by one group who hates you for your father. The group I'm sure you can figure out without me needing to spell it out for you. The second group is one you might not know of, but they are equally if not more dangerous then the first."

Naruto stopped all internal pouting at the words. Someone could give him three chances to guess right and he would get it right on the first try. The first group that would be coming after him would be from Iwagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Stones. Hearing about their hand in his mother's death, he had made a promise to himself to pay them back. With them possibly targeting him now, he would finally get the chance.

"While the second group is dangerous, they are also easy to predict the movements of. Thankfully, for Fire Country we have a source inside of this group, and he is willing to do anything and everything to protect you. He has already proven his loyalties to his country once before years ago, but is ready to prove himself once again if needed. You will know him when you see a fully matured set of Sharingan eyes and a jolly blue giant," added the man as he started to shuffle through a small pack at his side. He continued for several minutes until he pulled out a small scroll with a seal that seemed like scattered pieces of light. One that he recognized from his family home back in Konoha and signifying the activation of an Alter.

"The final group comes from outside and inside of Konoha. They are being lead by Orochimaru, and will raise their ugly heads the same time that the first group does. They will be here for two things. The first will be the destruction of Konoha and everyone within it. The second thing that they wish to gain is a pair of Sharingan eyes. If they should be able to influence the one with those eyes, then things will only turn out bad for the rest of Konoha. That is why I, on behalf of the Lord of Fire, give you this mission and a scroll from your Father that should aid in the mission."

* * *

**Morning**

Naruto had been forced to keep watch the rest of the night or until the effects of the sleeping gas wore off. Sadly, for Naruto though the effects had not worn off until an hour before they were set to leave their campsite.

When the adults of the group woke up and came out to see Naruto still on watch, he was questioned about the events of the night. He did his best to lie about the events but failed miserably in front of the seasoned Shinobi but most of Anko sister. They decided not to say anything about it at that time but they would discuss it further when they were safely within the walls of Konoha.

It was while they were packing up that Anko cornered Naruto in his tent to get the answers she didn't want to wait for. From the small inquiry earlier, she could tell something happened last night that didn't settle well with him.

"Naruto what the hell happened last night. I can tell when I've been poisoned by something, and I feel the after affects of a sleeping gas. Spill the beans now or I swear on Kaa-chan's grave you will not be able to procreate," threatened Anko as she stalked into the tent and cornered the blond. After looking for an escape route and failing to find one, Naruto settled down and looked at Anko with a lost expression on his face.

"Last night a man came to the camp and knocked everyone out with a sleeping gas. The only reason I was still awake I think was because of my friend," started Naruto as he patted where the seal was.

"He claimed his name was Chikara but I could tell it was a lie. After our introductions, he told me about several things that might be happening in the coming months. He told me there might be people from Iwagakure coming to attack me. Maybe not the entire village but who knows what they might send to kill me or to hurt the ones I care for. Every time I thought about it during the night I remember the story you told me about when they first came to Konoha," whispered Naruto as he started to ball his hands up. As he finished talking, he started to shake and small droplets of water could be seen falling from his eyes.

Anko had sat there and listened to what he had to say. What she had expected was not what he had just said though. She knew of only one person who went by the name "Chikara", and could sneak up on her or any other Jonin. Hearing about his warning to Naruto sent chills down her back as memories of that night came back to her.

'_Those bastards found out about Otouto… I need to tell Rin if she hasn't heard already. Damn I hope she is in Konoha already. Damn you Rikimaru-sensei, why didn't you want me awake to help handle this,'_ were the thoughts of Anko as she processed what was said. As she was about to move to comfort her little brother, he started to speak once again in a whisper that she could barely hear.

"He also told me of another group that would be after me soon. He didn't say much but did say I will know them when I see someone with a fully developed set of Sharingan eyes and a Jolly Blue Giant. He told me that I could trust the one with the Sharingan eyes, and that he has already proven his loyalties to the Land of Fire. The man was willing to do anything to protect me and prove that he is still loyal to Konoha and the Country it resides in," added Naruto as he started to shake even more. His voice had also started to drop more and more as he went along. By now, Anko was nearly right on top of him with her head bent to hear his words.

The message conveyed though was not missed by her. To her knowledge there was only one other complete set of Sharingan eyes in the world, Uchiha Itachi. Hearing he had proven himself loyal to the Lord of Fire Country nearly caused her to laugh, and she would have done so if it wouldn't have drawn attention to her and Naruto.

'_That's the last thing I need right now, Sasuke foaming at the mouth at a chance to fight his brother. The brat would probably go over the deep end if he heard that Itachi some how had a reason to destroy his entire clan,'_ mused Anko. Just as those thoughts finished, Naruto once again started to speak.

"He told me of one other group Nee-chan. It was going to be led by a man you despise, and would do anything to kill. He said that Orochimaru plans to attack Konoha for two reasons in the coming months. The first being the complete and utter destruction of Konoha, the Land of Fire, and anyone who lives within. The second reason is to obtain the only other complete set of Sharingan eyes he is capable of gaining. The attack on Konoha though is essentially all about him gaining the Sharingan. To do so he said that Orochimaru may try to lure him against Konoha with promises of power," finished Naruto as more tears started to come down his face. Thinking he was finally, done Anko tried to comfort him once again but was surprised when he started to talk, again.

"When he told me this he gave me a scroll that is from my father, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. He also gave me a mission that he said was straight from the Daimyo. The scroll was because Otou-san thought that I might be placed on the same team as an Uchiha, and wanted to warn me of certain things. The mission though…"

Now Naruto was trembling, and had started to punch the ground. Moving quickly, Anko wrapped her arms around Naruto and tried to comfort him and calm him down. The second he was in her arms, he started to cry onto her chest, and wrapped his arms around her.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, but she didn't care. She wasn't going anywhere until he was ready to continue. What ever the last bit of news was she could tell it was serious. That along with what ever was in his father's scroll had rattled him up enough to cause him to break down like this.

"Nee-chan the mission I was given was to kill Uchiha Sasuke should his loyalties to Konoha and the Land of Fire ever come into question. I was told that if he were to join Orochimaru, then the destruction of many lives would occur. Failure of the mission could mean the destruction of Konoha and Fire Country," said Naruto.

That was not what she was expecting.

* * *

**Konoha**

It was a normal day in Konoha, or at least as normal as it could get in a village of Shinobi. The only thing that most people were worried about was getting home before the dark sky burst open with its load of water. None were as worried about this as one particular Chunin.

Currently the Chunin in question was doing her part in the guard rotation for the main gate of Konoha. With her was the three loyal dogs known as the Haimaru Sankyodai, and yet even they seemed to be in fear of the rain that threatened to come down.

"Damn you Izumo and Kotetsu. I don't know why I ever let you two talk me into doing your shift today. I guess the next time I decide to take someone's guard shift I should check the weather for that day. I only pray to what ever god is listening that my shift ends before it starts raining,' muttered Inuzuka Hana as she paced opening to Konoha.

As she continued to pace, her three faithful companions perked up at the sound of approaching feet. Jumping to their feet, they turned to see who was approaching the gate from the Konoha side. What they saw only caused their hackles to rise, and their growls to deepen.

Rin had decided to come to the gate and check to see if Anko had arrived yet and if she hadn't she would sit and wait for a few hours to kill time. During this time, she would often chat with who ever was unlucky enough to be stuck with gate duty. The chats often ranged from events in the past to the current events of Konoha, and proved to be an effective way for her to catch up on the things she had missed.

Today however didn't look like it was going to be one of those fun days at the gate. She could already hear the growls of the wolf dogs that were raised by the Inuzuka clan, and could already feel their thirst for her blood. What was surprising though was the Inuzuka female that was currently looking at her with a confused expression. She could hear the woman questioning her partners, but they didn't seem to hear her or offer up an answer. It wasn't until she was in front of Hana that they finally spoke to each other.

"I'm sorry for their behavior, they've never acted like this before," said Hana as she tried to apologize for the actions of the three canines. She seemed surprised though when the woman opposite of her just smiled sadly and waved off the apology.

"Don't be, I've grown to expect that from the canine of your clan. I take no offense to their actions, but my friend might if she was here. Enough about that though, perhaps you could tell me if a certain group has returned yet. I'm looking for Team 10 and Team 7 being led by Mitarashi Anko and Hatake Kakashi," answered Rin as she relaxed.

'_It would seem that the animals have passed my name along, and yet the human side of the family has completely forgotten about me. If I had never been accepted by sensei, I might actually be hurt by that,'_ thought Rin as she watched the younger woman walk over to check the logbooks.

"Sorry, but they haven't arrived yet. According to the book though they should be arriving within the day," answered Hana as she walked back to where Rin was standing. Just as she arrived in front of the older woman though they could hear shouting coming from the path leading up to the village.

"AH, my arm isn't supposed to bend that far Sensei," shouted a young male voice.

"I think he is right Anko, Naruto doesn't appear to be double jointed," added in a lazy voice.

After that, they could hear more shouts of pain, and then moaning coming from over the small rise that lead into the forest. Shortly after that, though they could see a tall man with silver hair leaning off to the side walking out with a book hiding his face from view.

Behind the man was a large boy with reddish brown hair, and swirl marks on his cheeks. He seemed to be talking with a boy with black hair and an annoyed expression on his face. Next to him was a girl with bubblegum pink hair and a red dress with black shorts underneath. She could be seen talking animatedly with another boy with short black hair, and a dark blue shirt. His face seemed to have a hint of anger and annoyance flashing across it every now and then.

Behind this group was one that was lead by a woman with dark purple hair pinned to the top of her head. She wore a long beige trench coat, and an orange skirt that seemed to stop at mid-thigh. Above that, she had nothing on but what seemed to be a mesh leotard that barely covered everything from her hips to her shoulders. The only other stitch of clothing she had on was the white shin guards and her blue sandals.

Beside her was the dark haired boy that was talking with the larger boy. He could be seen glancing back at someone who had the clothe of his forehead protector covering up the top of his head. The dark haired boy seemed to be laughing every now and then when the other one would move his arm.

Beside the dark haired boy was a female with indigo colored hair, and the pale pupil less eyes of a Hyuga. She was smiling and talking to the one who was moving his arm around. At one point, she even moved behind him and seemed to message it gently to work out what ever happened to it.

After the group from Konoha, the two women at the gate could see three hooded figures, and another young woman. From where they were, they could hardly tell anything about the hooded figures, but could see the teenage girl laughing lightly at the ones ahead of her.

"Well it looks like you came at just the right time," said Hana as she moved over to the clipboard that held all the information on incoming and outgoing teams. With her back turned though she never saw the smile that started to form on Rin's face as she started to walk out to meet the travelers and with each step she took her eyes narrowed a little more.

The first to see the person coming out to meet them was Anko, and she recognized who it was as soon as she set eyes on the figure. She could see the signs of an angry woman clear as day and couldn't wait to see who the poor victim was going to be. Behind her she could hear Naruto and the others talking amongst themselves about the new arrival. Even the two dense members of Team 7 noticed the woman before Kakashi had finally started to lower his book. Unfortunately, for the famed Copy-Nin Kakashi he had decided to lower the book just as the woman stopped in front of him.

"Hello HATAKE KAKASHI," growled out the woman as she came to a stop and locked eyes with Kakashi. Kakashi stood there for a few seconds, almost as if he was thinking about whom this person was. Then you could see realization dawn on him as his single eye widened, and his mouth seemed to drop. That was all it took though for the woman to spin around and lash out at the man.

Everyone watched as the woman spun on her heel and delivered a devastating roundhouse to the side of Kakashi's head. The attack left everyone stunned as Kakashi was sent flying off to the side. Even Kakashi was stunned by the attack as he slowly staggered to his feet holding the side of his head. Even then the shocked look never left his face, or his students, as he tried wiping his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Rin, it really is you. Where have you been the last twelve years," asked Kakashi as he managed to make it back over to the group. As the words left his mouth though he could tell that he had said something wrong.

"Shut up teme! I'm not here for a reunion with you, I'm here to see my Imouto and catch up on old times," cut in Rin as she grabbed Anko in a hug. The entire time they seemed to be talking a mile a minute, and laughing as the group walked to the gates of Konoha.

The duo was so caught up in things that they never noticed the hurt expression on the face of Kakashi. The one thing the two did manage to see though was the smile on the face of Naruto as he looked over Rin and seemed to take in every detail.

'_So this is Rin… I can't wait to finally get to talk to her about everything and get to know her,'_ thought Naruto as they crossed into Konoha without question from the shocked Inuzuka.

* * *

**A/N: **Shorter, yes, but in the end it makes it easier for me. Not much happening but I can't pack everything into a single chapter. I know some things may seem cliché, but I don't see Itachi being as evil as he is being made out to be by many fans. The comment made by his father at one point about Itachi being the only link to Konoha always struck me as odd. How will I change things, well only time will tell. 

As you can tell, things are going to be hectic in the next few months for Naruto. What will he decide to do when faced with the decision placed in his hands? Will he carry it out, or have mercy on his former classmate.

The Chunin exams are going to be anything but the usual with the number of parties being added to the mix. An enemy from his past will make an appearance, but will any saviors from it appear as well?

What was contained within the scroll given to him. What message was contained within it from his father. What other secrets may be revealed when the scroll is finally opened.

Until next time in **Altered Destiny: **Genin Clash, Alter Alteration!


	8. Genin Clash! Alter Alterations!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of _Naruto_, s-_CRY-ed_, or _Tenchu_. I only use them for writing this story.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

**Author's Note:** Here is the next installment. Sorry about the delay, which I will talk about at the end.

* * *

**Previously**

Everyone watched as the woman spun on her heel and delivered a devastating roundhouse to the side of Kakashi's head. The attack left everyone stunned as Kakashi was sent flying off to the side. Even Kakashi was stunned by the attack as he slowly staggered to his feet holding the side of his head. Even then, the shocked look never left his face, or his students, as he tried wiping his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Rin, it really is you. Where have you been the last twelve years," asked Kakashi as he managed to make it back over to the group. As the words left his mouth though, he could tell that he had said something wrong.

"Shut up teme! I'm not here for a reunion with you, I'm here to see my Imouto and catch up on old times," cut in Rin as she grabbed Anko in a hug. The entire time they seemed to be talking a mile a minute, and laughing as the group walked to the gates of Konoha.

The duo was so caught up in things that they never noticed the hurt expression on the face of Kakashi. The one thing the two did manage to see though was the smile on the face of Naruto as he looked over Rin and seemed to take in every detail.

'_So this is Rin… I can't wait to finally get to talk to her about everything and get to know her,'_ thought Naruto as they crossed into Konoha without question from the shocked Inuzuka.

* * *

**Genin Clash, Alter Alteration**

The small group walked through Konoha without a care in the world. Anko and Rin were chatting catching up on old times, and gossip. Naruto looked on at his lost sister trying to burn her image into his mind. Hinata watched as another piece of Naruto's past revealed itself to them. Shikamaru just glanced occasionally as he reacquainted himself with the sky above Konoha.

The group from Kiri was busy glancing around the streets of Konoha. The difference between Konoha and the Land of Water was as clear as night and day. Konoha had a bright and inviting feel to it and easily welcomed anyone who was willing to enjoy the peaceful town. Everywhere they looked, they could see the villagers helping others and even the Shinobi took the time to assist the elderly, sick, or the needy.

Most of Team 7 was still back at the gates with their shell shocked Sensei. Two of the members were trying to wake their teacher up from his comatose state. They tried everything from slapping his cheeks lightly to full-blown punches to the head. The only thing that DID cause the man to stir was when they started to threaten his precious book. Unsurprisingly, the only member missing was Choji, who was currently with Team 10 making their way towards the Hokage Tower.

As the group walked down the streets, they were given an assortment of looks. Many were confused at the ruckus being caused by the antics of Rin and Anko. Once they saw that Anko was involved though they would either glare, or ignore the two Kunoichi. The entire way to the tower though none of them seemed to pay any attention to the shadow trailing them along the rooftops.

* * *

_**Sarutobi**_

The man known through the Shinobi Nations as the "Professor", and perhaps the longest living Hokage ever sat rubbing the bridge of his nose as he looked at his latest visitor. The man was none other then the one who had just visited Naruto the night before, and was now paying a visit to the leader of the Leaf Village.

"Why it is every time you visit me I always get a headache Rikimaru? It is that hard to give me good news," asked the Hokage as he removed his oddly shaped hat and set it down on his desk.

"If my job was that easy Sarutobi then I wouldn't be needed. You knew it would only be a matter of time before your wayward student decided to strike again, and you could only cover up Naruto's heritage so much before Iwa found out. You worry about the defense of Konoha, and I will worry about handling the threats that enter Fire Country," answered the man.

"I understand that but for you and Lord Shijimi to give such a mission to Naruto-kun… Isn't that asking a bit too much of him so early in his life," asked the Hokage, with a pleading look on his face as he jumped from his chair.

"It may be, but if he can not prevent such a threat from leaving Konoha then no one would be able to. When the Uchiha decides to flee to Orochimaru, he will try to achieve the Ultimate power of the Sharingan. The process is a closely guarded secret by the Uchiha clan, and I only know because of one of Arashi's students who just happened to over hear it one night," here the man paused as there was a knocking at the door.

The Hokage looked away from the silver haired man and towards his door to see it opening to reveal the now uncovered head of one Uzumaki Kazama Naruto. Seeing the blond, he quickly turned to where his previous guest was standing only to see the curtains to his window flapping in the breeze.

'_You always have been good at the quick escapes Rikimaru,'_ thought the Hokage as he turned to his new guests. They quickly grabbed his attention when Rin could be heard reprimanding Naruto for just barging into the office of a Kage.

"There is no need for that Rin; I enjoy the fresh breeze that Naruto always seems to bring in with him. I must say it has been very dull around Konoha with out him here," cut in the Sandaime as Rin had started to lecture the Alter user on respecting elders, and senior Shinobi. Taking this as her cue Anko stepped forward.

"Hokage-sama, Team 10 is reporting back from the Land of Waves and our A-Rank mission. I am happy to report that all members of Team 10 are accounted for, and in perfect health," stated Anko as she stood in front of her village leader.

"Ah yes Team 10 welcome home. I'm pleased you have all made it home safely and in good health. I must ask though what happened to the rest of Team 7. I was sure they would be with you and yet I only see Choji," asked the Sandaime as he settled down into his seat. Hearing his question caused Rin to blush lightly as she knew all too well why the rest of Team 7 wasn't there now.

"Well I kind of gave Kakashi a welcome home present," started Rin only to be cut off by Anko.

"If that is what you call a roundhouse to the side of his head; I'd hate to see what you did to someone you hate," jabbed Anko as she fell into a chair laughing. Deciding to step in before the two got out of hand; the Hokage cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention again.

"Taking that into consideration and the nature of your debriefing I suppose that your written reports will do. I want each of you to report to the hospital for a complete mental and physical evaluation tomorrow afternoon. Then on the following day, we will go over the mission and perform a more complete debriefing. After the mission shake down is completed you will be given a week off and resume missions after that," informed Sarutobi as he shuffled papers around on his desk.

"You heard the old man. Leave your written reports here and we will go over them along with verbal reports tomorrow. While Hokage-sama says you have the week off, you should expect to be called in for questioning regarding the mission until you resume your regular duties. Right now head on home and relax for the rest of the day, but tonight we meet at our regular place," added Anko as she dismissed her group.

"Also, let your friends know that we will talk with them in a moment. I just need to go over a few things with Anko before then," added the Hokage as the four Genin left his office. Once the door was closed, he could hear Team 10 speaking with the Shinobi from Kiri. Shortly after that, there was silence outside of his door, and with that silence, he turned his attention back to a very serious Anko.

"Hokage-sama we may have a few problems in the coming months," said the dark haired woman in a very grave voice. Had he not known what she was going to say he would have been shocked by her tone. Since he did know about the encounter though he couldn't help but grin behind his tented hands as Rin narrowed her eyes.

'_I can only imagine how Rin-chan will take this news,'_ were the thoughts of the Professor as Anko started to talk.

* * *

_**Kakashi**_

As Team 10 was leaving the Tower, they could see the remaining members of Team 7 walking up. Noticing that Kakashi was still in a daze and being led around by Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto paused to wait for them at the entrance to the building.

"Hey guys the old man is getting a quick debriefing from Anko-sensei, and Choji is waiting outside the office for all of you. The Old man said he would call all of you in when he was ready for your reports. I guess that's it so see you guys when we see you," stated Naruto as Team 7 finally made it up the steps. The last part of his greeting held a small teasing tone. It was accompanied by one of his mischievous smiles plastered on his face. The three members of Team 7 nodded and the two Genin proceeded to lead the stupefied Jonin inside.

They were walking into the building, and up the stairs leading to the private office of The Hokage when Kakashi finally came around. When he did he caused both of his students to stumble as he regained his senses and bearings.

"I see, so Team 10 has already reported in… I wonder if she is still around though," mumbled Kakashi as he settled in beside Zabuza outside of the Hokage's office.

When they were finally settled in Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi were greeted with the sight of Choji and the Demon brothers engaged in a staring contest. Intrigued, Kakashi leaned over to Zabuza to question him.

"How long have they been at it," whispered Kakashi to Zabuza who was glaring at the ANBU members sitting guard outside the office of the Hokage.

"Since the others left; it seems that your student still holds a grudge with them for calling him a lard ass. At the same time they hold a grudge against him for steamrolling them so easily," answered Zabuza while still glaring. Hearing the explanation, Kakashi just offered a grunt as he sat back and started to read his book once again.

"Mind telling me who possesses enough skill to get the drop on the infamous Hatake Kakashi and walk away," asked Zabuza as he broke Kakashi from his favorite book. Looking at the reaction of Kakashi though, he could tell it was a touchy subject.

"She is my former team mate, and a person I had never thought I would see again," answered Kakashi. After his answer, he looked directly at Zabuza relaying a message that was clearly received by the Kiri Shinobi. The message was simple and to the point, _'That is all I wish to talk about on that subject.'_ Seeing that no more questions would be coming from Zabuza, Kakashi turned his attention back to his book, and the problem at hand.

'_Where have you been all this time Rin? I though you were dead since I never saw you after Sensei passed away. Yet now you turn up, and for Anko it seems as if you never left Konoha. I guess it is obvious she would know where you went off to, but why wouldn't you tell me? I thought I was your friend Rin, so why leave me in the dark,'_ thought Kakashi as he stared into his book.

The same thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to piece together the mysterious appearance of Rin, and the enigma once known as Naruto. Something about the young blond made Kakashi feel that once he figured the boy out he would have the answer to all of his other questions.

He didn't know how long he was sitting there looking at his book and not reading it. He only noticed that time had passed when the door leading to the Hokage's office had finally opened. To anyone watching it would look like he had broken his neck the way his head snapped over to look at the doors. If they could see under his mask, they would have realized how disappointed he was when only the Hokage walked out of the door.

"Kakashi go ahead and bring your team in," was all the Hokage said before returning to his office. Standing and motioning to his team, Kakashi made his way through the opened door and stood in front of the leader of his village. Once all members of Team 7 were in front of the Hokage they stood at attention and waited to be addressed.

"I see you have all returned safely and by the looks of things wiser then you were when you had left. You four did very well on this mission, and I was surprised that you had decided to continue once the mission had been bumped up to a B-Class mission. To know that you forged on after it was bumped up to an A-Class mission gives me hope for the future of our village," said the Sandaime after waiting several minutes and shuffling through scrolls. By the time he had finished he was looking each of the young Genin in the eyes with pride shining in his old orbs.

"I'm very proud of them as well Hokage-sama. They have performed beyond my expectations with this mission, and as you said I believe they have each learned something important with this mission," stated Kakashi as he relaxed his stance slightly. Beside him, he could feel his Genin students each relaxing some as they waited for the Hokage to continue.

"Now the only thing that disturbs me is the fact that some of you questioned the orders of a superior Shinobi. In the field if your immediate Sensei is disabled you will follow the orders of the most senior able-bodied Konoha Shinobi present. To do other wise could be considered insubordination and to commit such a crime while performing a mission for Konoha could be considered treason," stated the Hokage grimly as he settled his eyes on Sakura and Sasuke.

'_H-he can't be serious, can he,'_** "That wrinkly old man better not be serious,"** were the thoughts of Sakura and her inner persona.

'_Hn,'_ was all that crossed Sasuke's mind as his eyes darkened.

"Thankfully though Anko has decided to wave off this offense, but has promised to exercise her rights the next time it ever happens. That punishment can be death, to restriction of duty, to house arrest, or dishonorably discharged from the Shinobi forces of Konoha. It all depends upon the severity of the offense and the mission that it occurred. I don't think I need to tell you which option Anko would decide upon," added the Hokage with a small glint in his eyes.

The Genin were visually scared, even the stoic Sasuke showed how shocked he was at the punishments. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out which option Anko was likely to exercise first. It was however lost on them that the Hokage's eyes also held a hint of mischief in them as he announced the punishments for the crime.

"Now Choji, Sasuke, and Sakura you are each dismissed. All I need right now is for Kakashi to give me the report for the mission. If I have any questions, I may call upon you to clarify certain aspects of the mission. Unless Kakashi has other plans, you will be given the next three days off, and resume your regular schedule four days from now."

"Begging your pardon Hokage-sama, but I would like to inform them of some things we will be doing the next few days. I will be taking them to be outfitted properly for future missions outside of the village. Be sure to meet up at our normal place at the regular time tomorrow," added Kakashi before the Genin could run out of the office.

The Hokage and Kakashi watched as the three bowed before making their way out of the room. Once Choji made his way out and closed the door silence once again reigned supreme inside of the office of the Hokage.

"Go ahead and give your verbal report Kakashi, but I still want to see a written report on my desk sometime in the next couple of days," stated the Hokage before he relaxed at his desk and pulled out his pipe. Without further prompting, Kakashi started to give his report.

* * *

_**Shikamaru**_

After leaving the tower, the Genin of Team 10 started on their way home. The first person to be dropped off by the team was Shikamaru, who lived near the Tower, but along the outskirts of the village.

"Man I'm glad to be home finally. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being away from the village and my mom, but sometimes you never realize how much you like something until it is gone," commented Shikamaru as he led the way to his house.

While thinking of his mother though he couldn't help but think of other things, darker things. He continued to have nightmares after the first night, and ended up getting very little sleep as a result. He remembered waking up on some nights gasping for breath as he dreamed of a shadowy hand cinching around his throat. Each time he woke up he would thrash around to break free from his imaginary opponent, and often ended up kicking Naruto once or twice in the process.

No matter how much he tried to think about it logically, or talk about his nightmares, they would never go away. The only hope he had of getting a decent night sleep was waiting for him at his house. With his father and mother, he hoped to find the answers to his questions, and seek refuge in familiar surroundings.

As they neared his home, he could smell the scent of his mother's cooking wafting through the air. Just smelling her work seemed to calm him down as the group neared the wooden house that served as the home for the three Naras. Once in front of the abode they could even see Shikaku herding some deer into a small pen. Seeing the elder Nara and knowing that Shikamaru's protective mother was nearby, the small group paused.

"Well looks like this is where we go our separate ways," said Shikamaru as he leaned against his home.

"You sure you don't want us to stay a little longer or anything," questioned Naruto as he looked at his friend.

"Yeah, I need to talk to my parents alone… I think that my dad is the only one who can help me right now… Thanks though for trying your best guys," answered Shikamaru as his eyes started to flicker around. Even now, while wide-awake, his sudden fear of shadows was starting to overwhelm him.

"Alright Shika, but remember we are here if you need us," said Hinata as she pulled Naruto away. Both were worried about their friend and knew that only his parents would be able to help him with this.

The young Nara watched as his two friends walked away and silently thanked them for their help over the last few days. At the same time, he knew he owed Naruto for what the blonde had to put up with on the way back.

'_I feel like a fool being afraid of the dark and jumping at shadows now. It never bothered me before our fight at Gatoh's place, and now I jump with the slightest breeze. To make things worst is that I had to sleep with half of the lights on in our hotel room. As much as I hate to do it I really need to talk this over with my troublesome parents,'_ thought Shikamaru as he let out a heavy sigh and started to walk inside his humble home. He had only made it into the entryway before he heard his mother greeting him.

"Shikamaru, you're home already? I would have thought that your mission would have taken more time. Go on and clean up and we can talk about it over dinner shortly," yelled his mom from the kitchen. How she always managed to know when he was coming and going he would never know. He had long ago decided to write it up as her being troublesome.

As he made it to his room and started to unpack his gear, he could hear his father coming into the house. Shortly after that, he could hear the muffled sound of his parents talking and from what he could tell majority of it was in hushed whispers. As he was unpacking, he had to fight the urge to turn on all the lights in his room and just fall asleep now.

He had just finished unpacking and was throwing his clothes in the laundry when his mother started to call him for dinner. It was with a weary sigh that he made his way towards the dinning room of his simple home.

"Welcome back son, I'm glad you guys finished so early. You managed to make it back just in time to help me with trimming the antler horns," was the first thing his father said as he walked into the room. Yoshino on the other hand was strangely quite for once, and it was slightly unnerving for him to see her like that.

'_What in the world is going on? Normally mom is the one who is always talkative, and dad is sulking because of something she did,'_ thought Shikamaru before he finally sat down and started to eat silently. Because of his mood, he never bothered to look up at his parents as he started to eat his meal.

As he robotically ate his food, he never noticed that his parents were staring at him. The eyes of father and mother meet each other from across the table, and they shared a moment of understanding. They knew the signs all too well and had both gone through something very similar at his age. He had killed for the first time and was still unsure of himself. What was evident to Shikaku though was the fear present in the eyes of his son. A fear he had once had and at times, it still resurfaced to scare him shitless.

Without a second thought, Yoshino stood up and started to clear the table. Her first move was to take the plate from Shikamaru and force him to look up at his parents. When she saw his questioning look, she merely nodded towards Shikaku who had started to move towards the library of the house and was waving for Shikamaru to follow him. Once both of the Nara men were in the library, light suddenly filled the room and eliminated all sources of shadow within it.

Rapidly blinking and waiting for his eyes to adjust, Shikamaru stumbled over to where he knew the chairs were. The minutes ticked away as he finally became accustomed to the brightly lit room. Once he was fully adjusted, he focused his eyes on his father who sat across from him. He sat with his elbows on his knees, and head hiding behind his folded hands. The most surprising thing though was the concern written across the face of the Nara elder.

"Shikamaru I know you probably aren't supposed to talk about the mission, but I think we can at least talk about a certain aspect of it that seems to have you worried. Maybe that isn't the right word though. I think it might be best to say that the mission instilled a new fear into you," stated Shikaku as he focused his eyes on his son across from him. He could see the shock jump across Shikamaru's face when he hit the subject right on the head. At the same time, he could see what looked like regret, and something else he wasn't sure he had seen.

'_It almost looks like he is ashamed to feel the way he does. No, I think it is that he is ashamed of having this fear of his families' ability,'_ thought the father of Shikamaru as he watched his son trying to adjust himself in the chair and find a new comfortable position.

Shikamaru was starting to become nervous as his father continued to look at him. It was unnerving that the man across from him could easily read what was on his mind. He had managed to hide these feelings from Team 7 and the group from Kiri, and thought he could at least do the same with his parents for a short time. Now though he was realizing just how good parents were at seeing through the masks put up by their children. Thinking of that caused another unwanted thought to enter his mind.

'_I-I'm lucky to have such a caring family. I don't know what I would do if I had to live like Naruto. To be able to live a life without a family to look after you and no one to depend on but yourself… How hard of a life did you really go through until now Naruto,' was one of the thoughts that ran through the mind of Shikamaru as memories of his own family started popping up._

The two sat there for several seconds with the only sound being Shikamaru shifting in his chair. One was too nervous to say anything, and still felt ashamed at his newfound fear. The other wasn't sure how to approach the entire situation. When he signed Shikamaru up to be a Shinobi he had not expected his only son to end up taking the life of someone so early. He had secretly hoped that it would waited until his son was a little older or at least a Chunin in rank. Unfortunately for the both of them Kami had a way of screwing up even the greatest plans man ever thought of.

"Are you two just going to sit here burning holes in the floor and wall or talk," yelled the matriarch of the Nara clan as she walked into the room with a tray of tea. Her rather loud entrance caused both men to jump in their seats, and actually send a small glare at the woman's back as she set the tray down on a small table. "Listen I know both of you are confused on where to start, but why not just start from the beginning," asked the woman as she took a seat beside her husband.

Nodding his head slowly Shikamaru started to briefly explain just what exactly was bothering him. He tried to keep the details limited but found it hard to do on several occasions. He had actually managed to make it halfway through the assault on the compound when he was forced to stop.

"I-I was running d-down one of the alleys in the compound when a group suddenly came around the corner at the end. I was surprised at first and I could tell they were too. I knew that the **Kagemane** wouldn't be of any use there so I used the other technique you had taught me, the **Kage Nui** (Shadow Sewing). I never expected it to be so bloody… There was blood everywhere and it was all because of my shadow. T-to think that such an innocent thing could cause a person's head to explode," mumbled Shikamaru as he fought to keep from breaking down.

This was one of the scenes that plagued his dreams the most. His shadow had killed multiple men easily, and because of that, he started to fear it taking a life of its own. He started to fear the shadow taking control of him, and using him the same way he used it. His dreams were plagued with images of the shadow racing out and spearing his father or slowly squeezing the life out of his mother.

From there it would change to the shadow making Choji do its bidding. It would use Choji as a puppet and send the mighty Akimichi to kill their childhood friend, Ino. From there the shadow had split the plump boy in half before seeking another victim to add to its carnage. It would quickly find one in the form on Uzumaki Naruto.

Shortly after the shadow grabbed Naruto, it managed to send itself down the boy's throat and cutting off any screams he might have had. It wasn't finished though. Once inside of his friend it would do something that caused Naruto's face to contort from pain to pure fear. Even Naruto's eyes held a look of fear that he had never seen before. It always made him think that Naruto knew something terrifying was about to happen. If only Shikamaru had known what that meant the first time this nightmare had popped up. The shadow had gone deep into the bowels of Naruto's body and somehow managed to manipulate the seal that kept the Kyubi at bay. Then the true nightmare started.

He told his parents all of this and by the end; his mother had somehow pulled him onto her lap and was rocking him back and forth. It was comforting in a way, and reminded him of when he was younger.

"I can understand your fear son, and I can only hope that I never have to go through the same thing you seem to have gone through in such a short amount of time. I wish I could honestly say that you have nothing to fear, but I could never truthfully say such a thing," said Shikaku as he broke the pregnant silence that had filled the room. His words had caused Shikamaru to realize what position he was in as well. Realizing he was in his mother's lap he slowly removed himself from her embrace and settled into his own chair once again. As he did so, he nodded his thanks to his mother for comforting him when he needed it the most, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"What do you mean Dad? I know I don't know everything about our family's techniques but I thought I knew enough," asked Shikamaru as he wiped away stray tears that had escaped his eyes.

"You already know how most people in the world are attuned to certain elements, but what you don't know is how our family and our techniques are different from the norm. It isn't just us but our close friends the Yamanakas and Akimichis as well; they though are another story for another time," answered the Elder Nara as he took a long sip of the tea his wife had prepared for them.

"There have been recorded incidents in our clan's history when one of us has lost control of one of our techniques. When this happened, the person was killed but that only happened after the technique lashed out at those around the user. When it first started, no one knew what was going on or why our family techniques were turning on us. Over time though we came to realize just why it was happening, but that was only after we had paid a heavy price," added Yoshino as she refilled the cup of Shikaku.

"At the time this happened my Grandfather believed that our family had become too dependent on the strength of the shadows, and neglected our own natural abilities. His findings were dismissed at first but as time continued to go by, and our shadows turned against us it became harder for the elders to ignore. It wasn't until one of the "strongest" members of our clan lost control and killed the elders of the clan that we changed our teachings to the younger generation. Starting with your Grandfather we began to train the minds of our family to perfection," stated Shikaku as he moved to sit next to his wife.

"The reason behind this was because your great Grandfather felt that if we trained our mind we could use our techniques more effectively. The training of the mind was also meant to help teach us our limits and the limits of our techniques. Without ever knowing these limits, we were bound to use our dark techniques exclusively, and not allow ourselves to consider other possible options. It was during this time that the saying "with a strong mind comes a stronger soul to fight off the darkness of past," came into being," said the female Nara as she started to lean against her husband.

"During the last Great War I suffered the same problem you did, but no where near the magnitude that you have. It wasn't until after nearly failing a mission and losing Inoichi and Choza that I took the time to solve my problems. One of the first things I did was take up meditation to help find an inner peace. It worked but I continued to have nightmares, and so I took up GO and Shoji to help me focus. This also helped me to learn how to apply my skills more effectively in combat; something that I had neglected during my training with my father years before.

"Once I did this the nightmares started to become less frequent, and eventually they stopped all together. They would pop up over the years to come, but only for a day or two after I had just taken the life of another person. Even today, when I think about those times I still suffer from the fear of my own shadow going out of control. After talking with you, I wouldn't be surprised if my old nightmares resurfaced for the next few nights," finished Shikaku as he leaned back in the small couch he currently occupied.

"What your father isn't telling you Shika is that he also has a rather unique fear. One that Inoichi and Choza always teased him about as they were growing up. Every now and then, I'll do the same; after all, it is funny to know a Shinobi, let alone a Nara that is afraid of the dark," said Yoshino.

Shortly after her statement a loud shout of "YOSHINO" could be heard across Konohagakure no Sato. If one listened long enough they could hear laughter following the name that echoed across the village.

* * *

_**Hinata**_

After dropping off Shikamaru, the duo of Hinata and Naruto started to make their way towards the Hyuga compound. By this time, it was midday and families could be seen making their way through the village of Konoha. People could be seen buying food, clothing, and other mundane supplies while bartering for a fair price. Men and women could be seen calling out from the entrances of established shops for patrons to come in and buy their wares. Butchers could be seen waving slabs of meat and links of sausage to demonstrate the superiority of their work. To most people it would be a regular day in Konoha.

To Naruto though it was like waking from a dream as he noticed the glares they were being sent his way once again. As they walked down the street, he could hear people mumbling words that stung him each time they rolled off someone's lips. How different it felt being back in Konoha after leaving a place where he was treated like a hero.

'_Is all of this really worth it? Do I really want to stay in a place where they think I'm something I'm not?'_

"_**What do you think they would say if they knew how easily you butchered all of those men in Wave Country? You only confirmed how much of a demon you are with your actions there meat bag. I never thought I would be able to enjoy the sounds of the dieing of the sight of a blood soaked battle field again when I was sealed in you,"**_ cut in Kyubi.

'_Shut up you stupid scarf! Once Jiji finds that student of his I'll place that new seal on me and hopefully never have to hear your grating voice again,'_ screamed Naruto internally as he balled his fists. From there he and Kyubi exchanged insults that only angered Naruto more. He was so caught up in his fight with the demon fox that he was startled when Hinata grabbed one of his balled fists in her hands.

"Naruto-kun, you shouldn't listen to what they say. If they want to be cruel just continue to be nice despite what they expect from you. If you let them see that their words and actions work, then they win and you end up losing in the end. Don't let them win," whispered Hinata as she pulled Naruto along with her.

"Thanks Hinata-chan, between them and the fuzz ball I felt like I was going to lose it," was all Naruto said in response as he tilted his head back to look up at the afternoon sky. "I honestly don't know what I did to get a friend like you Hinata," whispered Naruto as he looked up at the sun and smiled. As they were walking both teens couldn't help but think of one of the best nights in their young lives. It was also one of the hardest nights for Hinata, as she came to terms with just how many people would never see another sunrise or sunset because of her. Most of all, both would remember it as a night where emotions ran free for the blond Shinobi for the first time in a long time.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

Anko had just taken Shikamaru away to talk to him about his first kills. Naruto, Hinata, and Choji could each tell that the Nara was shaken up about the deeds of the previous night. What made things worst though was that he didn't want to talk to his friends about it and kept to himself for most of the day. If there was one thing they could count on though, it was Anko squeezing the problem out of their dark haired friend.

Even that though didn't stop Hinata from thinking about the previous night and slowly starting to break down right in front of Naruto. The wait for Anko and Shikamaru to return had given the girl plenty of time to think back to the massacre of Gatoh's men. With the memories bubbling up to the top of her mind, she started to tear up.

With the surrounding forest sleeping it didn't take much for Naruto to hear her, and jump over to her side to make sure everything was fine. After calling her name out several times, and not getting a response he cupped her chin with his hands and lifted it so he could catch her attention. What he saw though cause him to freeze up.

The pale moonlight was reflecting off her tear streaked face and puffy red eyes. It was only then he caught her mumbling. He could faintly hear her apologizing to some unknown entity, and calling herself a murder. The look on her face reminded him of his first kills and Hinata's reaction to when he collapsed shortly after them. Without thinking about what he was doing, he moved and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, and pulled her onto his lap in the process. Out of instinct and a sense of safety, Hinata returned the hug and cried onto his chest. Having gone through something similar with Anko when they conversed about his family, Naruto started to rub her back in hope of calming the Hyuga Heiress.

"Hinata-chan it's going to be alright," whispered Naruto as he started to rock her back and forth. Not hearing a response, he continued rocking and trying to comfort her. After several minutes, he could finally hear her starting to calm down.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I've gotten your clothes all wet from crying on you," muttered Hinata as she tried to pull herself away from Naruto and wipe the tears from her eyes. "I guess I'm still a burden for you and Shikamaru," added the girl quietly.

"You must have been talking to that brat you call a sister or at least thinking about her," muttered Naruto as he pulled Hinata closer and placed his chin on her shoulder. "You know you will never be a burden to me. You helped me more then you ever will know Hinata. Had it not been for you and Iruka-sensei that first night I found out about Kyubi I'm not sure what I would have done. I was already close to the edge years ago and only stepped away thanks to a mysterious friend who left scrolls to help me," said Naruto right into the exposed ear of Hinata. Even as he finished he could feel her shiver; from his words or just being cold, he didn't know.

"Naruto-kun," asked the girl as she tried to look at the face of the person she admired. She was confused; never before had she heard him talk about something like that. She knew it meant a lot for her and Iruka to accept him, but to hear he was close to some edge years ago made her shiver in fear.

'_He couldn't be talking about that could he,'_ were the only thoughts that rushed through her mind before Naruto continued.

"It'll sound dumb… I mean me, a little kid thinking of something as stupid as that… I read about it in some of those old books about samurais and Shinobi like the White Fang, but I had never thought about it much before until I had one of the worst birthdays of my life. I had tried to go out to the festival that day but I didn't know what was in store for me… Long story short it was the breaking point and I felt that if I left… That everyone would be happy. I didn't think anyone would miss me or cared about me. Not after the names that I was called, or what was said about my family," whispered Naruto. As he was talking Hinata felt something landing on her shoulder and head. It was wet and at first she though it was rain, but changed her assumption when Naruto started to shake.

"I must look and sound pathetic right now. Here I am trying to comfort you, and I break down crying. I honestly don't know how you guys can stand me. I don't know how you could even stand being on the same team as me knowing what I have sealed inside of me. I mean I can barely make it through a week without thinking of what would happen," said Naruto, but he never finished his thoughts.

Hinata slowly lowered her hand from where she slapped Naruto and fought the urge to look away from his shocked and watery eyes. Instead of looking away, she did something she had always dreamed of doing, and cupped his cheeks in her hands. As she did she slowly ran her fingers along his whisker marks and tried to calm him down. She could already see and feel the emotions that were running through him. How could she not see them? She had experienced the very same ones when she thought about her family in the past. She also remembered how Naruto looked the night that they both found out about the Kyubi.

What he was showing now was something he always fought to keep hidden from everyone. He always seemed so afraid of showing any sign of weakness to the people who ridiculed and scorned him. Because of that, those emotions would eventually break free of the restraints he placed on them. There was only one question she didn't know the answer to just yet.

'_How long has it been since you let all of these feelings out Naruto-kun? You didn't even cry this hard when you found out about your family… You didn't seem this depressed then either,'_ thought Hinata as Naruto seemed to doze off and placed his head against the trunk of the tree.

'_Naruto-kun always acts tough for us, and yet at the same time he seems like a little child who needs someone to support him,'_ mused Hinata as she started to feel the affects of the emotional night catching up with her. Smiling softly, she did one thing she would never be able to do when Naruto was awake. She pushed herself up enough to manage to give him a soft peck on the cheek before she let sleep overwhelm her. Her final conscious act was to wrap her arms around Naruto and bury her face in his chest as sleep finally reigned supreme.

* * *

_**Present**_

Naruto could help but laugh slightly and blush as he remembered the way they woke up that morning. He was the first one awake but found himself in a very uncomfortable position. Having Anko as a sister or as a Sensei ended up causing both Genin to experience many rather embarrassing situations. Both of which were apparent in their current situation.

During the night it would seem that Hinata's shirt had started to ride up on her small lithe body. Because of this, a large amount of her pale ivory skin was visible to Naruto in the morning light. The only thing that seemed to make it worst was the fact that she seemed to be having some dream and was currently rubbing up against him. That by itself had caused another problem for him. It was something that hardly happened to him until he started living under the same roof as Anko, and seemed to be the result of some of his naughtier dreams as of late.

Naruto quickly shook his head to get rid of those memories before they ended up causing him to daydream of certain things… They were things he didn't want to think about when he was busy walking the reason for those images home, and possibly facing a very protective father.

"Naruto-kun," called Hinata as she watched the sudden blush cross the boy's face, and then quickly fade away.

"Huh? Oh it's nothing Hinata," answered Naruto as he looked at her questioning face. It wouldn't do to tell her what he was thinking about, more so after he heard Anko mumbling about teaching the girl how to use certain things to her advantage. That and he caught Anko passing certain orange books to the Hyuga Heiress.

'_Stupid hormones are going to be the death of me,'_ cursed Naruto as he stumbled to a stop beside her outside the front gate to the Hyuga compound. Standing guard as always was two of the Branch members of the illustrious Hyuga clan.

"Hinata-sama, it is good to see that you have returned safely from your mission. Your father has been on edge since you left," stated one of the guards as he moved to open the gate.

"He has been very concerned. So concerned that he has placed your sister's lessons beneath going to the Hokage's office every three hours to find word of the outcome," added the second guard, who was also trying to keep from laughing at the dissatisfaction of Hanabi. It wasn't often that the girl was forced to wait for anything, and to see her precious lessons being canceled because of Hiashi's concern for Hinata was something many in the Branch Family enjoyed. Of course, they would never show such feelings in front of any of the Main House unless they were trusted.

"Naruto-kun, I'll see you tonight at the shop. I must go and report in with Father; I'm sure he is wondering how the mission went and wishes to speak with me," was all Hinata said before she gave him a quick hug and ran off into the compound. She was sure that the guards were watching with wide eyes at her small, and yet bold display of emotions for the young Alter user.

"You know Naruto-san if you ever hurt her, nearly the entire Branch family would hunt you down and inflict untold amounts of pain upon you," said the first guard as he over came his shock. When Naruto looked him in the eyes he could see a small glimpse of what pain might be inflicted on him.

"But before we touch you; we might be tempted to inform Hiashi-sama that you may possibly be having dirty thoughts about his daughter," added the second Guard in a guarded whisper. Both men broke out laughing as the blood left Naruto's face, and the boy performed his best imitation of a guppy.

"We're just joking Naruto-san, at least about the dirty thoughts… I think it rather odd that we seemed to have been right on that though. Why don't you run along now, and get ready for your date tonight with Hinata-sama," stated the first Guard again as he turned Naruto around and give him a kick in the rear to get him moving.

* * *

**Hyuga House**

Hinata quickly rushed to her room and started to unpack her gear from the mission. It seemed that by the time she had made it into the main building of the Hyuga clan and to her room majority of the clan (Main and Branch) knew she had returned already. She knew it would only be a mater of time before she was called to her Father's office, or if he wanted a more private conversation, his room. It was with that in mind that she quickly finished her unpacking.

Her thoughts were proven correct when she heard a knock at her door, and the voice of one of the many Branch members informing her that her father wished to see her. With one last look around her room, which was perhaps the most colorful one in all of the Hyuga clan, she followed the Branch member silently towards her Father's private study. One outside the door all she could do was wait until her presence was announced, and told to come in.

She slowly walked in, and sat opposite of her father. Beside the man who ran the Hyuga clan sat his youngest daughter, Hanabi, with a sneer on her face as her sister took her seat. No one spoke, as Hiashi seemed to finish reading and signing a scroll that was sitting in front of him. Once he was done he rolled the scroll up and handed it to Hanabi. With out anything else said the younger girl accepted the scroll and walked out of the room.

To Hinata though she could see the anger in the way her younger sister left the room. Even the slight slamming of the sliding door were small signs that the girl was show more anger then usual. It was strange to see her acting in such a way in front of their father. Before she would always keep up the same cold façade, but slowly Hinata had noticed anger becoming more apparent in her little sister.

"You must forgive her Hinata. She got into a small argument at the Academy recently, and I was just giving Iruka my permission to do what he sees proper to punish her for that. From what he told me in the scroll it involved three other students, and seemed to revolved around a certain blond Shinobi who hasn't been seen for some time," stated Hiashi as he saw her questioning glance at the door.

"Naruto-kun," whispered Hinata as she continued to look at the door. Now though she had a confused look on her face as she tried to figure out just how Naruto played a part in this.

"Yes. It seems that three of his followers heard Hanabi talking about him and they were not pleased with what she was saying. That resulted in a small scuffle between the ringleader and Hanabi. I'd imagine at this time, Sandaime-sama is probably going through something similar with Konohamaru," answered Hiashi as he cleared his small desk and settled his eyes on Hinata. "Enough about that though, I wish to hear how your mission went. Sandaime-sama only gave us minor details when we would meet each night to be kept up to date on the events in Wave," stated Hiashi. Smiling to her father and nodding in understanding, she started to tell him what she could about their time in the Land of Waves.

He was astounded though to hear some of the things he did. His stony façade nearly cracked on several occasions, such as hearing of the attack from Gatoh's thugs on the disguised Naruto and Hinata. After all it always seemed to hold some mystifying effect when you hear of someone's first kill, but some would say that he was just a morbid individual to enjoy such things. That though was more of an occasion for a frown to cross his face. What nearly caused a smile to break his mask was hearing how Hinata had handled herself during the confrontation.

'_To think that just a few months ago I would have hardly expected this of her. However, with the guidance and support of her team she has truly grown to be an impressive Kunoichi. The Elders may not agree with this, but given time I feel she might be able to rival even Neji. She has the raw abilities and now she only requires a person to unleash them,'_ thought Hiashi as the corner of his lip twitched into in brief smile before returning to an indifferent line.

The next shocking news though was the attack on Gatoh's compound. The way Hinata described it the place was perhaps built in a similar fashion as the Uchiha section of Konoha. In the center was a building built in a traditional fashion according to what most Daimyo's would use has their personal homes. In the proper hands, such a place could very well be impossible to be assaulted. At the same time with the proper mind detailing the assault, it could become child's play. The latter seemed to be the perfect way to describe the mind of Nara Shikamaru and the plan he concocted in this situation.

His mask did crack finally when he heard the news of one of the men trying to grope her. The protective nature of a father kicked into gear and caused him to grind his teeth. Even as she continued to talk his frown deepened and he was plotting a way to find the man and bring a slow and painful death to him. His anger though vanished as he remembered who else was there.

'_Despite his nature I'm sure he paid the man a personal visit for committing such and act. I must be sure to speak with him later though to ensure my assumption is correct,'_ pondered Hiashi as he tossed the thought around in his head. He would have to be blind not to notice the growing attraction between the blond of the team and his daughter.

Onward she went through her part of the mission and spoke of how she went about securing the non-combatants. He couldn't help but feel proud, of her by the way she described the confrontations with the guards. At the same time though he knew that he would have to talk with her when he heard her detail her first kill.

For most Hyuga it might not have been a problem, but Hinata was not like most other members of her clan. She was caring, and would rather heal then destroy or kill. So for her to _see_ the damage with her Byakugan as she inflicted it made an impact. After all not many people can see skin and muscle tear as senbon, shuriken, kunai, or other weaponry tear through flesh, muscle, and bone. As he watched her though he couldn't help but notice how it didn't seem to affect her as he thought it would.

'_Odd, I had expected more emotion shown from her with this current topic. Given the way she has behaved growing up and the emotion she showed earlier… All of that seems to contradict what I am seeing now.'_

As he went over this in his mind though, Hinata was battling with herself to keep from shaking and tearing up. The only thing that kept her from breaking down as she unintentionally detailing her fights was the words of Naruto when they had talked after that first night they spent in the tree together.

'_Nee-chan told me that sometimes in order to protect those we care about we might have to go to the extremes. Sometimes in order to help someone we may have to go to the extreme. That is the life that we have chosen and it is too late to run away from now. Every time we question ourselves we just need to remember _why_ we do the things that we do. For me it is to protect those precious to me and make sure no one ever has to go through what I did,'_ were the words he had said on their way back to Konoha.

'_For you Hinata it is to try and break the cycle of pain and suffering in your clan. To do that you need to be strong. You want to protect future generations of Hyuga's and ease the pain of the current generation. You want to try to break the curse that has settled in on your family. As long as you keep that in mind you will never stray from your path,'_ he continued to say. Even though she knew what he said was true, she still couldn't help but feel guilty. That though according to Anko and the others was the only thing that made her still human. The time to worry, she was told, was when killing became too easy and when she enjoyed taking the life of another person.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize she had finished her story until her father cleared his throat. Jumping slightly, and looking down in shame at being caught by surprised, she fought to keep from her old nervous habit. While she was berating herself, Hiashi moved to corner of the room and retrieved a small tray of tea. Setting it down and filling their glasses, he took a claming sip of his tea before starting to speak. What he planned to say though was sure to shock his daughter.

"Hinata, have you ever wondered why things changed so suddenly that night weeks ago? The same night that you found out about one of Konoha's darkest secrets," asked Hiashi as he leveled his gaze on his daughter. Hinata was shocked at the question and it showed on her face as she snapped her head up to look into the half-lidded eyes of her father.

"It was on that night that several things occurred. One of great importance was a meeting that Elders wished to hold upon learning of your ranking among the members of your graduating class. They felt that as the Heiress, anything less then top of the class showed that you were unfit for the position. They wished to formally replace you with Hanabi, and condemn you to the Branch House," stated Hiashi evenly, and rather coldly.

He could see the effect of his words though as Hinata's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He could also see the signs of a panic attack starting to form as she started to take several deep breathes and shake violently. It was something he hadn't seen since the time she was forced to fight Neji in front of the entire clan, and was something that he had hoped he would never see again after that.

"It was during this meeting that I was told you had no returned home, and by then it was nearing the middle of the night. Hearing the words of the Guards sent a cold chill down my back as memories long forgotten started to rise to the top of my mind. They were memories that I had thought were long buried and forgotten. They were the memories of that dreaded night of your third birthday, and the night that Hizashi's fate was sealed," said Hiashi grimly. He wouldn't have to look at her to know her reaction to those words. He had seen it enough times in the past to know that by now she was like a leaf in a storm.

Hinata still had nightmares about that night, even though she could vaguely remember the actual events. The nightmare took many different forms but they each had the same thing in common. A dark shadowy figure would slip into her room with sharp pointed teeth and steal her away from her family. They would travel through a twisted forest until they were stopped by her father. From there they would fight until the figure was defeated. From there on she would only hear faint whispers of the Elders deciding the fate of her uncle. This single event is what she blamed for destroying any chance she may have had at getting to know the person she looked up to as a big brother.

"I searched every where I could for you that night and when I couldn't find you I felt like the end of the world was upon me. It was then I found out that you had been found, and were in the Hokage's office. I rushed there as quickly as possibly to make sure you were safe. The entire time I was searching for you though reminded me what was truly important. It gave me a chance to reflect on how I've treated you since that first night and after your mother left us. I steeled my resolve to rebuild all the bridges I had burned up until that night. I vowed that I would mend the wounds between the families, and that I would become a better father to you. A father you would no longer feel ashamed of," said Hiashi as he moved form his spot opposite of Hinata to sit beside her and envelop her in a hug.

Hinata wrapped her arms around her father and returned the first hug he had given her in years. Hearing his words was all it took to break the fragile damn around her emotions. It was with a small cry of "Otou-san" that she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. She would no longer have to be a person different from her true self. She no longer had to be ashamed. She now knew that he would accept her no mater what, and that one goal she had sought to accomplish had finally been met. Her father accepted her, and that was more then she could ever hope for in such a short time.

Hiashi finally smiled as well as he felt his daughter wrap her arms around him and cry into his chest. He couldn't help but wonder why he had waited so long to do this, and now that he had done it he would do anything to keep it. He would even dare going against the wishes of the Elders once again. He would become a father first and a Clan Head second if it assured the safety of his precious daughters.

'_How long as it been since we shared a moment like this,'_ was the thoughts of both daughter and father as they continued to make up for lost time.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

After dropping off Hinata, Naruto started to wonder around Konoha. It was still early in the day and had he been willing there was plenty of time to kill before he had to meet up with his team later that night. Without knowing what Anko and Rin had in mind though he had a small number of options to select.

'_If I know Nee-chan we could end up at a Dango stand all night. Then again I remember hearing stories about how she and Rin-nee-chan would cause bar fights too. With them being together for the first time in years that is the most likely event to occur. I guess I better head home and clean up and unpack,'_ thought Naruto as he turned towards the path that would lead to his new home.

He had moved into his family home shortly after being assigned to Team 10. With the help of Anko and Iruka he had managed to move his few precious belongings into the home that was left to him by his father. When he first laid eyes on it thought he could honestly say that it was not what he had been expected to be the former home of the Yondaime Hokage.

The first amazing, and yet extremely annoying part of his new home was the path to get there. Being in a secluded part of Konoha, it was far away from the main part of the village. Because of this it seemed that his father had decided to set up an obstacle course throughout the forest leading to the house. Of course for any Shinobi worth his salt a puny obstacle course wouldn't be a problem, but that was never the case when dealing with a seal master. As Naruto found out the hard way.

Some how his father had managed to create a series of seals throughout the course that blocked chakra from being used by anyone within it. That included using chakra to reinforce your muscles to make a Shinobi faster, stronger, and jump higher/farther. You couldn't even stick to a tree with your chakra because of the seals used by his father.

The obstacle course was made up of several things to test a person's balance, speed, agility, and strength. Many of them though seemed to be in a state of despair since it had been some time since they were last used, or repaired. It was only with the help of Anko that he managed to find a way to his home; thankfully it was one that allowed him to use chakra.

After seeing the state of the giant obstacle course, he had been prepared for the worst when he saw the house that his parents shared. Therefore, he was relieved to see that it actually looked to be in one piece. He could hardly believe that this log cabin was the place where Anko and Rin had fought "savagely" to protect his mother from squads of Iwa ANBU.

The outside of the house looked to be intact, except for a portion of the main entrance that looked newer then the rest of the building. If he had to guess he would say that was probably the way the Iwa forces stormed into the house when they attacked. Outside of the house though were several flowerbeds with a wide assortment of roses, tulips, daisies, lilies, and even a pond with water flowers growing. Even these seemed to be in good condition and had fewer weeds and overgrown spots then Naruto had expected. Pointing it out to Anko, she had admitted to coming here on some occasions and taking care of his mother's prized garden. It was one of the few things, she confessed, outside of alcohol that helped to calm her down after a rough mission. She even admitted to being the one responsible for repairing the house and keeping it in working order.

Behind the house was a large lake that was only broken up by the small cliffs that seemed to box it in and feed it by a large waterfall. The lake, Naruto was told, was where his father and mother would relax on hard days. Besides that he was told that they all enjoyed playing in the lake with toads that made the body of water their home away from home. At one point she claimed it was favored by Gamabunta as a swimming spot.

Not far from the house was a great chasm, deep enough to keep any casual observer from seeing the depths of it. It was wide enough to keep most normal Shinobi from being able to jump across, and helped to serve as a natural barrier from most attacks. The rock walls within it were jagged, but had been smoothed out by years of rainfall running down the sides of the split earth. If you were to ever fall into this giant crack in the ground you would be lost forever.

Now that she had a piece of that family back, she was willing to live in the house that held many precious memories. It was something that she had promised not to do, but with Naruto she was willing to live there and help him realize just what a family was. It was something that they had both felt would be a worthwhile adventure for the two of them.

It didn't take long to move Naruto into the giant log cabin. The only other thing that was needed before settling in was to move Anko's belongings to the cabin and repair the roof, and any holes rodents may have created. Therefore, after doing a little maintenance they were finally able to settle in and live in relative peace away from the village.

'_I guess though from the stories I've been told I get my green thumb from Kaa-san, and my behavior form Otou-san. I just wish I could find out more about them from someone who knew them when they were younger,'_ thought Naruto as he started to pass the training grounds of Konoha. Unfortunately for him he was too caught up on events long past that he never noticed the people following him. That is until they decided to reveal themselves in a way only few could.

Naruto didn't know he was being followed until he heard the sound of a kunai sailing through the air. By quickly stepping to the side and turning away from the weapon, he managed to avoid the deadly steel. What he didn't avoid though was the sandal-clad foot that was following right behind the weapon.

"**Dainamikku-Entori** (Dynamic Entry)," as the only thing Naruto heard before a foot connected with the side of his face solidly, and sent him flying into one of the training logs found in each training field.

Even then he didn't have a chance to rest as he heard the sound of steel flying towards him. Not wasting time on a second look, he flipped up into the air and behind the wooden training log. Once he was safely behind the log he could hear the thumps as the hailstorm of weapons imbedded themselves. It was only then that he heard someone exclaim something about someone's "Springtime of Youth".

'_Damn it! Why did it have to be them to attack me right now? Why couldn't it have been Dog breath's team? At least then all I would have to worry about is Shino and Kiba. With these guys I have a choice of being beaten, perforated, or have my chakra shut down," _ranted Naruto mentally, as he jumped away from the log in time to watch it splinter. Landing a few feet away, Naruto looked up to see the form of Rock Lee lowering his leg from the powerful kick he used to destroy the log. Landing beside the boy was his female teammate, Tenten. Both of them were in a ready position to attack him once again; Lee in a fighting stance and Tenten armed to the teeth.

"Come on guys, I just got back from a draining mission, what do you say we call it in your favor again," pleaded Naruto as he started to search around for the final member of Team Gai.

"Sorry Naruto-kun, but we must make sure you remain Youthful and Vigilant in your training," yelled Lee as he started to pump his fist in the air. Beside him Tenten just sighed, and shook her head. In the distance Naruto could have sworn he heard someone else talking about the Flames of Youth.

"Besides Naruto, I don't remember you and your team cutting us much slack the first time you guys attacked us," added Tenten as she smiled wickedly at the blond. He could only curse silently since she had a point there. Even then though his team had come away worst for ware after their first sneak attack on the team of the eccentric Maito Gai.

"So there isn't any way I can walk away from this without being beaten to within an inch of my life? Sounds just like old times really… Of course that depends on if Neji is with you or not," mumbled Naruto as he too started sliding into a stance similar to Lee's. At the same time he could see a frown crossing Lee's face but it seemed to be more of a reaction to Naruto's words, and not his style.

"You do not need to worry Naruto-kun, Neji is currently at home. Tenten and I just happened to see you as you were walking through the market as I was buying new weights," answered Lee as he started to fidget. Beside him Tenten only nodded in agreement as she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Look, we are sorry about the last time, Neji went too far in what he did. Gai-sensei had him running laps around Konoha for the entire week after that event. Even after that Gai-sensei was extra hard on him in everything we did. That's actually why Neji is at home right now," added Tenten as her narrowed eyes softened slightly.

'_I guess that is as good as it gets for now. After what he tried to do to Hinata-chan I'm not sure if I'd be able to keep from trying to make him a smear on the ground or against a tree,'_ thought Naruto as he slowly started to smile. It didn't take long for the other two Genin to realize that he was willing to fight now. With both sides tensing and waiting for the opposing side to make the first move they waited. Each of the Genin watched as a stray leaf started to float down to the ground between them. It wasn't until it finally touched down that Naruto and Lee jumped into action.

Lee being the more experienced, and possibly the fastest Genin in all of Konoha made it more the halfway before Naruto could make it there. Once he was in front of his opponent he spun on the tip of his right foot and went to deliver a fully charged kick at the head of the blond. Not having enough time to dodge, Naruto brought his arms up to use as a shield. He soon regretted doing that though as the force of the kick sent him skidding back, and he would swear to anyone that he head the sound of bones snapping.

Once he was clear of Lee though Tenten entered the fray as she sent another storm of weapons towards Naruto. With Lee in front of him, and weapons coming in from his right and left sides he only had two places three places to go; up, down, or backwards. Going up would leave him open to an attack from Tenten and Lee. Going down would protect him from Tenten but he harbored no thoughts of the same being true with Lee. Going backwards would give Lee an opening and allow Tenten to follow up with another handful of weapons.

Quickly running through the possibilities he decided to go with option "D". The only problem with that option was that it would be the first time he ever showed it to them. He had wanted to keep it a secret from the other teams for as long as he could, but he really didn't want to be turned into a pile of mush or a pincushion. He could only hope that it didn't cause the same problems he had been having during the trip back to Konoha. Seeing the deadly steel coming closer, he quickly tried to call out his Alter.

Lee and Tenten watched as the strange light enveloped the projectiles and ate away at them. Large chunks of the earth vanished in the blink of an eye. They continued to watch in awe as the light encased the arm of Naruto, and slowly build upon it. An armored hand could be seen by the members of Team Gai, and was quickly followed by the light revealing an arm wrapped in gold, crimson and silver armor appeared. The three fins started forming on Naruto's back, and curving up to reflect the midday sun as the light finally started to die.

Just as the fin's reflected light blinded Tenten and Lee, Naruto slammed his fist into the ground and seemed to vanish in a cloud of dust. The two members of Team Gai were too busy trying to clear the sand and debris from their eyes that they never bothered to look up. The duo paused in their frantic search when they heard a whistling sound coming towards them.

"Above you," shouted a voice from within the trees, causing the two "veteran" Genin to look in the direction mentioned.

Sure enough there was Naruto coming down from the sky with the sun at his back. It made it hard for the two Genin on the ground to focus on him, and even more so for a person like Tenten. Any weapon she threw at him ended up just missing because of the speed that he was descending. In the end both Tenten and Lee jumped out of the way and watched as Naruto splintered and shattered one of the logs that resided within the field.

As the dust was starting to settle, both Tenten and Lee were surprised that they were soon joined by the members of Team 8, Shino, Kiba and Ino. All five Genin watched as a shadow stood from the crater and started to make its way out. Not to long after that the dust had settled to reveal Naruto at the lip of the new crater rotating his arm.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NARUTO," screamed Ino as she started to frantically point at Naruto and the crater. Beside her Kiba was sputtering at the sight of Naruto with an armored arm, and Akamaru was trying to bury himself deep inside of Kiba's jacket. As Naruto looked at Shino though he couldn't help but smirk when he couldn't discern any reaction from the Aburame Heir. The boy was still as emotionless as ever, and didn't seem to have any problems hiding all of his emotions.

'_I suppose that comes from having a hive of insects living in you. Letting your emotions out of control would probably send them into a frenzy,'_ mused Naruto as he spread his fingers and brought them together into a clenched fist.

"N-Naruto, just what in the world is that thing on your arm," asked Kiba as he regained his senses. Ino, Tenten and Lee were all nodding in agreement with Kiba's question. Each of them were secretly wondering just what the boy had been hiding from them all this time.

Shino on the other hand was preparing to continue what Team Gai had started. It was also the main reasons his team was there now; Kiba had managed to pick up Naruto's scent, and pay him back for all of the surprise attacks Team 10 had performed on them since they had all graduated. What they saw though had stunned each member of Team 8 to varying degrees.

Naruto just smiled at them and motioned for them to come at him. His opponents stood there for several seconds before Lee smiled and jumped into action and Kiba soon followed him after setting Akamaru down on the ground. Shino started to release more and more of his family's unique bugs, and Tenten armed herself to the teeth in preparation to take advantage of any opening. Ino stayed back with kunai and shuriken at the ready and Akamaru in front of her.

Naruto smiled as the duo charged him and quickly flipped backwards as Lee came at him with a spinning kick. As Lee ducked down Kiba came flying over spinning like a mini tornado of claws and teeth. Knowing the power of the move from previous experiences, Naruto went to backhand Kiba with his right arm to deflect the Inuzuka. Instead of connecting with the male Heir to the canine clan he was stopped by a green clad arm.

Lee was crouched down in front of Naruto, having caught the armored arm with his own at the elbow. With a jerk he lifted Naruto from the ground and threw him several feet only to have Naruto land in a crouched position. As Naruto was about to jump towards Lee and Kiba he was cut off by Tenten and Ino throwing an assortment of weapons at him. Ino's were close to hitting him but nowhere nearly as accurate as the ones thrown by the elder Kunoichi. Doing a series of back flips, Naruto avoided those, and for the more accurate ones he deflected with his arm. As soon as the shower of steel had stopped, Naruto was set upon once again by Lee and Kiba.

This time though the fight seemed to be straight Taijutsu from both assailants and for that Naruto was somewhat thankful. He ducked under a spinning kick from Lee and grabbed the fist Kiba had sent towards his face. With a grunt of exertion he managed to toss Kiba aside only to be kicked under his chin and sent hurling into the sky above the battleground. It didn't take long for Tenten and Naruto to realize just what was about to happen.

Naruto had seen this technique being practiced by Lee when they had first attacked Team Gai. From what he could tell it would hurt like hell, if not knock him out should Lee complete the move. Seeing how he knew the Chunin exams were coming up and Rin was in town he did not intend to stay in the hospital any time soon. If he had to guess, what was about to happen was could nearly be as strong as his first bullet.

Tenten knew of this technique because she had seen Lee practice it a number of times of the last few months. It was supposed to be Lee's trump card against Neji and from what she had seen before it could fill that role. The downside was that it ended up hurting Lee and leaving him unable to defend himself for several precious minutes as the strain on his body caught up. To see him using it on Naruto though seemed to mean several things to her but she wasn't sure if she was just imagining things or Lee was just going overboard.

As Lee was jumping into the air to move into Naruto's shadow, several kunai and shuriken were launched from the bushes and trees surrounding the clearing they had been fighting in. Not knowing the true targets, many of the Genin present quickly moved into a defensive posture and deflected any weapons that came near them. Lee on the other hand was pined to a tree by his bandages and the weapons that seemed to have been directed at them. Not feeling the presence behind him anymore, Naruto flipped and landed gracefully in a crouched position as he looked around for who ever was gracious enough to save him from a major headache. Looking around though no one could see the party responsible for the miracle rescue.

Everyone stood there expecting someone to come from the bushes or trees and yet no one ever appeared. Not even Kiba and Akamaru's noses could pick up any new scents. Shino had a look of intense concentration on his face as his scouts reported in to him. The things being said though was starting to confuse him. Someone a woman had managed to sneak up on them without revealing her presence until she had thrown the numerous weapons. Then just as quickly as she had appeared she left without leaving a trace of her presence.

One of his finest scouts had tried to hitch a ride on the woman, but ended up being flicked off before it could find a good place to hide. During that brief contact though, the Kikaichu was able to tell him many things about the mysterious woman. The first and most unnerving was that the person was not releasing any chakra; something most people do unless they are extremely skilled in suppressing it. The second thing was that she was a young female, perhaps mid twenties, with black hair in a small ponytail.

The Kikai Mushi that had caught a glimpse of her, and reported came up with that picture for him. The way she was dressed was similar to Ino, but also slightly different. Her top was close to what Ino wears normally but was in black, and instead of a skirt like Ino she wore baggy black pants like what many Jonin wore. What seemed to confuse him and the colonies of Kikaichu within him was that they saw no identifying headband on the girl. Despite all of that though, all signs pointed to her being a Kunoichi of some sort.

"Look guys, I have to head home and get cleaned up. I just got back from a tough mission and I was going to celebrate a little later with my teams," stated Naruto, shaking Shino from his silent contemplation of the mysterious Kunoichi. Everyone watched on as Naruto raised his left hand into a strange seal and called out a technique many had come to hate.

What seemed like hundreds of Kage Bunshins flooded the clearing and took off in several directions in a mad dash to escape. Being used to this, most of the people were quick to press their attack and destroy as many of the clones as they possibly could. Even with Lee's impressive speed they couldn't stop all of the clones from making their way out of the clearing and into the surrounding woods.

"Dang it, he got away again," pouted Tenten as she started to gather and reseal weapons.

"Tell me about it. I owed that punk a few black eyes."

"I'm going to kill him the next time I see him though… One of those freaking clones tried to," started Ino only to pause and blush as the others started to look at her.

"Haha, don't tell me he did it again," yelled Kiba as he started rolling around on his back laughing at the embarrassed blush spreading across Ino's pale skin.

All that anyone heard after that were howls of pain and girlish screams. Those watching the massacre of the Inuzuka heir knew that they should never mock a girl who was upset at being felt up. Lee was cowering behind Tenten for protection, and even the stoic Shino seemed to be trying to hide and protect regions of his body. To him and Lee those were precious regions that any male would seek to protect from damage, and pitied the Canine user for being struck in such sensitive areas.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

Naruto quickly jumped through the trees and for what seemed like the hundredth time was glad he learned the Kage Bunshin technique for the Forbidden Scroll. He had already dispelled his Alter as he was running through the trees, and was preparing to make his way into his home. On his mind the entire time was a nice hot shower and a new change of clothes.

'_Stupid clones. I swear Nee-chan has polluted my mind so much that my clones are rebelling against me each time I make them. Why else would one of them always do that to Ino,'_ thought Naruto as he heard Ino's shouting and wishing him a very painful death. He ignored the fact that he was already doing perverted things before he met Anko. The only difference was that now it seemed like he held a beter appreciation of the opposite sex.

"I can't believe Lee was about to use one of the Lotus techniques on me. I remember him plowing a log the size of Choji into the ground on at least two occasions," muttered Naruto as he landed outside his home and walked in.

He had to laugh at the way the entrance of the house was set up though, and knew his mother had to be the reason for it. One of the first things you would come across was a series of pegs, hooks, and cubbyholes. Each of these was meant for a Shinobi to leave their weapons hanging as they came into the house. Still though, it wasn't as if he used it all the time and he knew Anko hardly used them. Half of the time they just walked in and dropped their gear wherever they wanted. In Anko's case, it wasn't just equipment that she ended up dropping around the house.

It didn't take him long to get to the shower in his room and start relaxing under the hot spray. While washing his hair and scrubbing he thought over the events of the previous weeks. He would frown and smile at certain points and even blush a little as memories of his time in Wave Country and the weeks before that came back to him. It was unfortunate though that he was too wrapped up in reminiscing and he forgot about the soap he had dropped on the floor of the shower. It wasn't until he was moving to get out of the shower that he was reminded of it in a rather painful way.

Naruto's eyes flew wide open as he felt his foot slipping out from under him, and sending him head first into the counter of the sink. Time seemed to slow down for him as the marble countertop came closer and closer. Never before had he ever heard of a ninja being injured in such a way without being drunk or drugged.

'_I'll never live this down if Nee-chan finds out,_' was the last thought that went through his mind before his world was filled with rainbow spots and the world faded. It was with that Naruto passed out on the floor of his bathroom.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

"_Demon!"_

"_Get away from my baby you hell spawn!"_

"_Loser!"_

"_Dobe!"_

"_I bet your parents left you because they were ashamed of you!"_

"_Why don't you just die already so we can be happy!"_

Scenes of Naruto's past and childhood were flashing through his mind. Images he had thought were buried within the depths of his mind were coming back to him full force. That was the way he was treated by other kids and the caretakers in the Orphanage. The words of Mizuki when Naruto first joined the Academy and the taunts of many of the children there as well echoed through his mind as well. This was his past and something he wished had stayed buried.

Looking around him, he could see nothing in the inky darkness that surrounded him. The only light that could be seen was focused on him alone and only seemed to only reach as far as his outstretched arms could. Even that light though was very dim and didn't give him much to check the floor visibly. Not that there was much to see on the floor, since it felt perfectly smooth and cold to the touch.

"**Why,"** asked a voice that echoed across the chamber that represented Naruto's mind.

The blonde was confused at first at when he heard the voice. He had heard Kyubi's voice taunting him several times before, but this one was nothing like that of the demon. While the demon's voice sounded slightly psychotic, this one sounded wise. Where the Kyubi sounded angry at the world, this one seemed to hold a comforting quality. It held quality that Naruto had only heard from the Sandaime Hokage and one that seemed to come to him when he was reading his family scrolls.

"**Why,"** repeated the voice once again.

"What do you mean "Why"? Why what," yelled Naruto as he started to look around. Experience told him that whenever he entered his mind, Kyubi was always there. For him to be there now and Kyubi nowhere in sight to taunt, or torture him was unnerving and relieving.

"**Why fight,"** asked the voice again from all around the blonde.

"I fight to live," answered Naruto a bit too quickly.

"**Why fight."**

"I already answered that! I fight to stay alive."

"**Why fight."**

"I fight to grow stronger and to live," yelled Naruto again growing impatient with the questions of the unknown voice.

"**Why do you wish to be stronger,"** Naruto paused here to consider his answer. Before it was just to be recognized and to gain respect by those in the village, and a part of him wanted to be stronger so that He could do to others what had been done to him. That part of him had slowly started to phase out of his mind though as years passed by. After joining Team 10 his reasons for becoming stronger had changed even more once again.

"I want to be stronger to protect those around me. I want to be stronger to be there for everyone; Iruka-sensei, Hinata-chan, Shikamaru, Anko-nee-chan, Rin-nee-chan, Oji-san, Teuchi-san and Ayame-nee-chan," stated Naruto as he started to rise form his seated position on the ground.

"**Why do you wish to protect then,"** asked the voice once again.

"They are precious to me! They accepted me for who I am and not what was put in me! I want to protect them because I know that is what Otou-san and Kaa-chan would want! They would want me to protect this entire village, just how Otou-san did! Just like Anko and Rin Nee-chan did," shouted Naruto once again as he finally made it to his feet.

Now the light around him started to intensify and spread out from Naruto's locations. Slowly he could see more and more of the floor around him. Looking around it seemed as if it was made of white marble, or perhaps tons of ivory. There were no designs on the floor of any kind and nor was it sectioned off in any way. It was a flat expanse of solid white that reflected light to reveal walls and a ceiling made of the same substance.

"**You wish to protect those precious to you, even the village that shunned you."**

"Yes. I would do anything to protect those precious to me. The village may have treated me like crap at times, but if Otou-san and Kaa-chan were willing to live and fight for the village then I would do the same. Maybe in time I can learn to forgive them, and they can look past the Kyubi to see what I am. Now quit asking these freaking questions and show yourself," yelled the Shinobi once again as the lights intensified and exposed more of the vast room he was in.

"**You have chosen well Kazama Naruto. You wish to walk the path of the protector, and defend those around you regardless of their misdeeds. You would do well to remember this, and not walk the path of the one who destroyed your once great family,"** answered the voice as it reverberated across the walls of the white expanse. The meaning of the words though was not lost on Naruto.

'_This is the Ritual of Evolution but I didn't do anything to start the ritual,'_ thought Naruto as his mind now started to race with what this meant. He had after all spent a great deal of time trying to learn everything he possibly could about his new found Kekkei Genkai. Those scrolls described a ritual, in which a person could advance their ability to another level, and that level would be stronger then the initial level of all alters.

The ritual was different for each person most of the time, but one thing they all had in common was a confrontation with a being from the _other side_. The _other side_ was often called the world of the Alters, where his clan's power purposively originated. That of course was often speculated in the numerous scrolls concerning their origins. One group had even said that they came from a very special island that held a forest full of plants and animals with Alter abilities. By living on that island living off the land the humans gained the power over the years and learned to control it.

Naruto had no idea which one to believe, but he did know he had yet to confront any being from the _other side. _As far as he knew, he had never done anything that started to ritual. All he knew for sure was he was going to be the laughing stock of the Shinobi community if they found out he knocked himself out by slipping on soap.

"Why now? I thought that this had to be started by the user," yelled the young Shinobi as he started to follow an urge to walk forward. The urge had only sprung up when he shouted his latest message.

"**We have chosen to begin the ritual because of times to come. You are among the last of our once great clan, with only two others still alive today. One of them you have already met, the other is still hidden away awaiting his time to strike,"** boomed the voice as Naruto continued walking. Slowly he could see something over what appeared to be the horizon.

"**The other has been around since the beginning of our family and wants nothing more then all the power in the world. To get that power he turned on his own family and nearly annihilated all but the few who were scattered to the winds. He has since then hunted them down and sought out their destruction to ensure that none could stop him. Now he will come for you and the other user in the village.**

"**He will stop at nothing to see that she dies at his hands. To him she is unimportant but he will kill her to ensure that there will be no other Alter users born down the line. You as well will be killed by him if you are not ready. Your death will be for another reason entirely. He wishes to gain the power that you have trapped within you. He wishes for the power of the Nine Tailed Fox, and should he gain that power he will undoubtedly destroy the world,"** stated the booming voice with a since of finality.

The voice did nothing to make Naruto feel better as he continued walking, despite wanting to stop and think over what was being said. The voice did confirm something for Naruto at least and that was Haku being descended from someone in his clan. In a way it also gave more credit to the theory of his clan coming from some island, possibly near the Land of Water. That was a good reason to be happy. On the other hand though the voice had just confirmed that there were only two other Alter users in the world, and one of those users wished to kill him and Haku. That was not something to celebrate. Hearing that this other Alter user wished to hunt him down for the Kyubi only seemed to make matters worst for the blonde.

"How can I stop someone like that? How do you propose that I take on someone who you claim has been around since the beginning," questioned Naruto uncertainly.

"**By doing what you have always done young one. You will continue on your path to greatness protecting those you hold precious. Along that path will be many trials and tribulations that shall prepare you for the final confrontation with the One. Do not doubt yourself, and do not forget your purpose. You draw your strength from that purpose and should you doubt it you will lose that strength. Shield them when you can but also know when to let them grow on their own accord. Most of all know and understand that you will not always be able to shield those close to you," **echoed the voice once again.

As the echoes from the booming voice died down, Naruto noticed for the first time just how devoid of noise the place was. Even as he continued to walk to some predetermined location he couldn't hear the sound of his feet, breathing, or the beating of his heart. It was as if the sound had been sucked from the area, and only existed when he or the mysterious voice from beyond spoke up.

Naruto would have stopped in shock when he looked forward and noticed a winding set of stairs in front of him. The only thing stopping him from doing just that was the lack of control of his body. Even now his body betrayed him and started up the stairs on its own accord. The only part he could even move was his head and that was just to swivel it around. Looking up he saw the stairs just seemed to continue onward into the heavens of this world he had found himself in.

"What about the Kyubi? If I have to always fight it how can I possibly manage to gain the potential you speak of," called out Naruto. Where the voice would echo, Naruto's voice just seemed to vanish in the void of the vast white expanse.

"**That is one of the many trials you must pass. The beast you know as Kyubi is one of the many dangers that walk the world. However with it crossing over into this world, it craves the power of one of its own. It craves and wishes to devour YOUR power. You must tame this beast and not allow it to feed off you,"** answered the voice finally.

"What the hell do you mean it wants to devour MY power? It thought as a Biju it had all the power in the world," screamed Naruto in a panic. He didn't know why, but hearing the Kyubi wanted to eat his power scared him more then anything else at that time. That was when something else said by the voice caught his attention.

"Wait, you said it craves the power of one of its own, what do you mean by that? I know I'm no demon, so how could it want my power, and the power of another demon," asked the boy with more anger present in his voice.

"**It is simple child. It is also the very reason why you did not have to go through the process of the ritual," **was all the voice said before it started to trail off. By this point in time Naruto was at the top of the stairs and in front of a large dais with what seemed to be an obsidian stone in the middle. In that stone was what appeared to be two handles, but what they were connected to he had no idea, yet. Once again though his feet took him to where they wanted to go and handled the process of crossing over to the stone.

"**Take these blades and use them as a shield to protect those who can not defend themselves. However, like all blades, these cut both ways. They can be used for protection, but they are also needed to cut down the ones who would bring harm to the innocent."**

With those words Naruto reached for the hilts of each of the weapons and gave a strong pull, under the assumption they would be difficult to pull from the stone. He was surprised however that they came out easily with a flash of light that blinded him for a short time. Once his eyes had adjusted though he was surprised at what he held. Two Kodachi like what he had used before but with one major difference. The blades were a kaleidoscope of colors that danced down the length of the small blade. The reason this shocked him so much was obvious. The blades themselves seemed to be made up of crystallized alter energy and was something he had only heard of being done.

"**These weapons are a manifestation of the combined powers of you and the beast you hold within. Both of you are bursting with power, and with these you can channel that power. To discover the true extent of this power though you will have to train with it, but be wary though, and do not let this power go to your head. As with many things in the world, too much power is capable of corrupting those who wield it,"** said the voice once again as Naruto hefted the blades and ran his fingers along the lengths of them drawing a small amount of blood. Before Naruto could speak up, the voice echoed through the room once again.

"**The time for you to wake has come. Remember what you have heard and prepare for the upcoming storm that wishes to rip the mighty tree of Konoha from the roots. As we speak the dark one is gathering his forces to send them after you and the one other with his blood. Protect each other and continue the line of the Kazuma (1) for the years to come," stated the voice as it seemed to shake the very ground he now stood on.** At the same time the room was flooded with the light he has come to know as Alter causing the boy to close his eyes.

* * *

_**Waking world**_

When Naruto finally opened his eyes he was greeted with the sight of a very worried Anko and Rin standing over him. He was no longer in the bathroom, and seemed to have been dressed in his boxers by one of the two people in the room with him. Now though neither of them seemed to realize that he was awake yet.

"How could that idiot slip on a bar of soap? I know I drilled balance and recovery into his head countless times," ranted Anko as she slammed down a ceramic bottle onto the table she was sitting at. Hearing her voice and the slamming bottle caused Naruto to wince slightly at the pain that would come in the following days.

"Accidents happen some times Anko. I remember when you were his age and had your own share of accidents," reminded Rin. Hearing her voice caused Naruto to feel some slight relief, hoping that he wouldn't be treated to too much pain by his adopted sisters. "At the same time though, it is kind of sad that he can make it through the obstacle course and yet nearly kills himself getting out of a shower," was heard and quickly shattered all of Naruto's hopes.

By this time Naruto could feel the effects of a headache slowly starting to fight its way through his numbness. Trying to ignore it as much as possible he looked around to see where he was. Lining the walls he could see numerous bookshelves running up towards the ceiling and he knew where he was immediately. The library/drink room of the house. It was one room he had become very familiar with over the weeks for multiple reasons; the first was obviously the books and scrolls that lined the room. The second reason was the liquor cabinet that was very well stocked by what appeared to be his father's private Sake and alcohol basement. Knowing these things didn't help him much though. If anything it gave him more to worry about because by now the person he had called the sadistic sister, in private, could possibly be very drunk.

"Ah, I see the brat is awake finally, about time too," muttered Anko as she moved from the small table and towards where the young boy was laying on a couch. At the same time he could hear what sounded like three other people getting up and moving over towards where he was currently.

In only a matter of seconds he could see the head of Anko above him, Rin on his right, Shikamaru on his left, and Hinata down by his feet. Each of them was looking him over to make sure all was well. It was only when he saw Hinata that he made a delayed move to try and cover himself and found out he was thankfully covered with a blanket to hide his barely clad body.

"How are you feeling Naruto-kun," asked his long lost sister, Rin, as she sat down beside him. As she moved to sit down he could already see her hands ablaze with green light as she checked his body over. "You were lucky you know that? Had the edge of the counter been pointed and not rounded you could be looking at a much more serious problem," proclaimed Rin as the light died around her hand. Hearing her words seemed to cause everyone in the room to relax a little. Even Anko managed to release a small comforting smile at the words of her older sister.

"I had planned on taking you guys out drinking tonight for the first time, but because of recent events I think we can get wasted here. Each of your parents thought it might be a good way for you to relax after having such a stressful mission, and I just happen to agree with them," said Anko as she ruffled Naruto's hair and moved off towards the cabinet.

"What, you can't be serious can you? I mean we are only Genin and only thirteen years old," cried Shikamaru as he moved away from the couch and Anko. Even Hinata seemed a little shocked at the news she had just heard. Rin seemed to be smiling and enjoying the Genin's plight.

"No, she isn't kidding. In fact Anko and I first enjoyed our first tastes of this Sake around your age. Kakashi had his first drink when he was just barely ten, if I remember correctly. You will probably learn as you grow up that many in our line of work feel that if we are old enough to kill, then we are old enough for everything else in life," added Rin as she moved to join Anko.

"That's all good and all, but I think I'd like to be excused for a few minutes," muttered Naruto as he tried to wrap himself up in the blanket that had been used to cover him.

"What's wrong runt, don't want to streak through your own house," asked a voice from the entrance to the room. Startled at the voice, Naruto turned to see Zabuza standing in the doorway with the Gozu and Meizu. "Don't look too shocked. We don't have a place to stay, and we were told we could stay here for now," answered Zabuza as he noticed the shocked look on the boy's face.

"We thank you for this opportunity Naruto-san," said Meizu as he walked into the room. "And we wish to repay you for giving us a chance to live without the fear of Hunter-Nin from Kiri," added Gozu as he moved with his brother. By now Naruto was over his shock at their appearance and was walking over to the doorway is a makeshift toga in hopes of finding real clothes. While Naruto was upstairs getting dressed, the three Jonin were gathered together while the others mingled. Meizu and Gozu were together drinking away while Hinata and Shikamaru talked and sipped at what they hoped would be "safe" beverages.

"You think your runts will be ready for the upcoming Chunin exam," asked Zabuza as he settled leaned against the wall beside Anko. In one hand he had an unopened bottle of Sake, and in the other he held another that was being pressed to his lips when he wasn't talking or breathing.

"They know teamwork, and even though Naruto might not be the brightest one in the group he has enough skill in other areas to make up for that. In terms of battle prowess I have confidence in each of them, but the only one I might be worried about is Shikamaru. He has the brains and the skills, but if he comes across one of the many "prodigies" of the village he might be in trouble," stated Anko as she quit nursing her drink.

"What about the Hyuga," questioned Rin from Anko's right.

"Hinata… I'm worried about her. If her cousin enters the exam and they come across each other, he would do anything to take out his anger on the main branch out on her. If he hates them as much as I've heard, I wouldn't be surprised if he even went as far as to try and kill her," admitted Anko before she took a long pull on her drink.

"Even after what she did with Gatoh's men, you still feel that way," asked Zabuza in a slightly shocked voice, as shocked as he would allow himself to be.

"They were nothing but thugs. Her cousin is praised by many as the strongest of this generation of Hyuga Shinobi. He actually tried once already on our first sneak attack on his team. If we didn't need to get Hinata checked up as soon as possible Naruto probably would have went berserk on him," answered the purple haired Kunoichi with a heavy sigh.

"Would you rob them of this experience though," asked Rin once again as she looked at her "littlest sister" who was currently busy talking to Haku, who had just entered the room.

"No, not when I know what our little Otouto wants to do. If I didn't give him the chance he would hold it against me for who knows how long," answered Anko honestly. "Not to mention that if they were the only Rookie team not to take the test I would never hear the end of it from Kurenai and Kakashi," added Anko with a smile on her face this time.

"Just what does the runt plan on doing at the exams," asked Zabuza with a raised eyebrow. No matter what happened he always seemed to be intrigued by the blond. The fact that Naruto and Haku seemed to have forged a strong bond in such a short time didn't help matters any. Seeing Haku coming into the room was a huge relief to him and made him all the more eager to question the two on just what happened.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

The three Shinobi from Kirigakure no Sato and the faux Hunter-nin were all assembled in front of the Sandaime Hokage. Each of them knew what they were about to discuss and couldn't help but feel on edge. The reason why was very simple. They were here to ask for sanctuary within the confines of Konoha, and to join her military force. If they were denied that then they would likely end up living life on the run once again. They also knew that no matter what, the request would not be an easy one to grant. Such was the world of politics in the Elemental Countries.

"I'm sure you all know the situation I must be in. This may just be one of the more delicate positions Naruto has ever put me into in recent years," stated Sarutobi as he pulled out his signature wooden pipe and proceeded to stuff it with tobacco. During all of this the four in front of him started to shuffle from foot to foot. "Ah where are my manners, please have a seat so that we may talk," added the Sandaime as he laughed lightly at the nerves of the four in front of him. After all, how often do you see someone as feared as Zabuza nervous?

The four quickly sat down in the chairs that were in front of the desk of the man feared as the "Professor" of the Shinobi world. Each of them was busy trying to calm their nerves with their unique nervous habits. Zabuza was rubbing the back of his neck, feeling naked without his sword on his back to comfort him. The brothers were rubbing their arms, both feeling just as naked without their special clawed gauntlets. Haku sat with her hands fidgeting in her lap as she kept her head down, afraid to look at the leader of what many claimed was the strongest hidden village.

"As you may know if I were to allow the four of you to become Konoha Shinobi I could very well be declaring war on the Mizukage. Ever since your assassination attempt on his life Zabuza, he has had a very high bounty out on your head. Now while I may not agree with his policies I can not just blindly accept someone into my service who has tried to kill the leader of a country and now has become a fugitive," stated the Professor after lighting and blowing several clouds of smoke out from his pipe.

"I understand Hokage-sama but I had to try. Haku-chan here shouldn't have had to grow up on the run. I only entertained this offer for her and the hope that she could lead a regular life without fearing Hunter-nin coming for her life," spoke up Zabuza for the first time. At the end of the row Meizu and Gozu were nodding in agreement with their leader.

"That is admirable, and I had been told as much from Naruto. Since Haku is not technically a member of any Hidden Village, I could easily accept her into the folds of Konoha. I doubt though that she would allow such a thing to happen if the ones she looked to as family could not join her," hearing the wise voice of the Sandaime say such a thing caused Haku to nod. Seeing Haku agreeing caused Zabuza to frown slightly behind the gauze that made up his mask.

"She is also still young, and as you may know the young don't always know what is good for them," countered Zabuza. His words caused the two brothers to snicker, and Haku to pout slightly. The Hokage though surprised all of those present when he broke out into laughter at the words of the self-proclaimed demon.

"Very true Zabuza. I find myself thinking that on several occasions and that saying has never been proven truer when it came to Naruto and his family," added the aged Hokage as he tried to stifle his laughter. "With those thoughts aside, I feel that it would be hard for young Haku to live a life of her own when she would be too busy being worried about your well being. Because of what Konoha stands for, I could never separate a family such as your own."

There was a long pause as the Hokage took several more drags on his pipe and turned to look out of the window behind him. They could see his eyes roaming over the faces that adorned the stone monument of Konoha's past. After his eyes had landed on the final face on the monument he paused and seemed to be lost in thought as he continued to stare out onto the village of Konoha. None of the others in the room wished to disturb the old Hokage, as he seemed to reflect on his memories of the past. Seeing the grandfatherly smile that crossed his faced though told them that not all of the memories were terrible.

"Normally I would have to call a meeting of the clan heads and highest ranking Jonin before I make this decision. That choice has been taken out of my hands by the Daimyo of this land. One of his most trusted followers has assured me that you would be an extremely valuable asset to Konoha in times to come. I would be a fool to ignore the words of this man because he has often spoken the truth in the past. He also informed me that your reasons for attacking the Mizukage and coup were not at all completely sinister," said the Hokage with a knowing glint to his eyes as he finished. He could the Zabuza flinch slightly at those words, and noticed the two brothers shifting in their chairs as well. Haku for the most part looked confused at the last words said by the man in the white and red robes.

"Zabuza-sama," questioned Haku as she looked at the man she often called father. Seeing no answer coming form him, she looked to the two brothers that sat on the opposite side of Zabuza from her. She could only frown though as they refused to meet her questioning eyes.

"I suppose I should go ahead and spill the beans. We have kept the truth hidden for far too long I suppose. Haku what you are about to hear is something that I have never told anyone except the two on my left. It is the reason I was willing to risk my life to kill the Mizukage, and the reason I took you in with me all those years ago," said Zabuza as he started to hang his head dejectedly.

It seemed that all attention was now on the tall man as he sagged down into his chair for the first time ever, to Haku. It took everyone Haku and the Hokage by surprise though when the man seemed to have a dark cloud of depression settle around him. Haku and the Sandaime could only look on as Zabuza started to remove the bandages that kept his fingers out of plain sight.

"What you and many other except those who knew me at that point in my life knew of this. It was also one of the few secrets that the Mizukage knew of me and used against me to keep me under his thumb," started Zabuza as he finished removing the bandages around his hand.

Haku gasped slightly as she saw a battered ring adorned on the finger of Zabuza's hand. It was something she had never seen before on the man, and it surprised her that the man could actually wear a form of jewelry. The ring was old, and yet it seemed to be well taken care of despite the condition it looked to was in. After all, no matter how much you take care of something it is bound to get beat up some.

"This ring… This ring belonged to one of the first people who ever melted my cold heart. She was also a Kekkei Genkai user, and refugee from the previous wars to wipe out all such people in the Land of Water. The only reason she survived and lived as long as she did was that the Mizukage felt she would be of use. Her name was Ayase, Terada Ayase, and she was to be my wife one day," said Zabuza as he pulled the ring form his finger and started to run his finger around it in circles. At the same time his voice was becoming harder to hear as he became lost in memories of his past.

"She was a beautiful woman and if I didn't know any better I'd say she could have been your mother or at least your aunt Haku," said Zabuza as he came back to the present. He could hear Haku gasp at his words, and could feel the Hokage listening in. He knew he now had everyone's attention and could only smile grimly at how such stories ended up gaining so much attention.

"She had your powers as well, and seemed to do things that you probably could never imagine with it. She had learned of a way to breathe water without drowning, and even how to cause small explosions with the very water one would normally drink. In a way the water became an extension of her, and moved with nothing but a thought. I suppose with time your powers may very well grow to that level. Her mastery of Suiton jutsu surpassed nearly everyone within Kirigakure no Sato, and that was what caused the Mizukage to grow weary of her. In the end his fear ended up ending her life.

"The Mizukage had thought that he could control her at first. When he noticed his control slipping he tried sending her on kamikaze missions in hopes of her never coming back. She always did though and she often told me it was because of me that she fought to come back each time. Our luck took a turn for the worst though when the Sanbi came close to our lands that the Mizukage was finally able to end her life," growled Zabuza as he clenched his hand around the battered silver ring. Beside him the brothers could be heard whispering something that sounded akin to "O-nee-sama," as they wiped their eyes every so often with their cloaks.

"If it had just been a fight with the Sanbi she might have survived but that bastard of a Kage wasn't going to let that happen. He sent five of the seven members of _Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu_ to ensure that she never returned. This was only after they left Kisame and me for dead on the outskirts of the village. By the time they had returned we had gone into hiding to nurse our wounds and plan our revenge against the heartless bastard who would callously throw away things that he feared instead of trying to come to terms with them," spat Zabuza as he fought to keep from shaking in his rage. Try as he might though he was failing and seemed to be failing at restraining his anger from flooding the room in the form of blood lust. Those inside of the room could hear the Chunin guards stiffen and fall back against the door.

Haku looked on afraid and saddened by the tale that was being told. She had never heard so much emotion in the "Demon's" voice before, and it scared her in a way. It made her realize that she didn't know this man in front of her as well as she thought she did. She couldn't help but wonder what else he was hiding from her or if she even wanted to known the secrets of his past.

She was also saddened because of the emotion he was displaying. The anger and emptiness could be felt in his words as he told his story to all those present. It took all she could to refrain from jumping up and hugging her fatherly figure, and to fight back the tears that were fighting to break free. She would be strong for him and wait for him to finish before she interrupted him. It was the least she could do for him after all this time. She and the Hokage would listen to the sad tale and then she would continue to support him as she had in the past.

"The rest you probably know, but what you may not know is that part of our group, the Kaguya clan, betrayed us and ended up destroying any and all chances we had at victory. From there Kisame and I went our separate ways but not before vowing that one-day we would return to liberate our country from the tyrants that ran it. So far though Kisame seems to be the only one close to fulfilling that oath; since he was able kill the Daimyo who allowed such atrocities to happen. I started to wander with those who were still loyal to me. Slowly though we were picked off by the remaining members of our former group and Hunter-nins. It was during this time that I stumbled across you Haku.

"When I saw you I couldn't help but think of Ayase and thought I was seeing things at first. When I felt you tug on my cloak I knew that you were real. I didn't doubt for a second that you were related to her, and when I saw you use your Kekkei Genkai I had confirmed that you were of some relation to her. Looking at you walking along with me I could swear I heard her pleading with me to take you in and off the streets. Shortly after taking you in I took us to where I had made a memorial to her and made a promise. The promise was simple, I would protect you with my life and treat you as if you were the daughter we had always hoped for," finished Zabuza as he put the ring back on his finger and started to re-wrap the hand with his bandages.

Before Zabuza could even start thought Haku was kneeling in front of him and holding his hand. She had her head bowed down over his hand and her shoulders were shaking slightly. Zabuza could feel the tears falling down onto his hand as he moved from his chair to wrap his other arm around the sobbing girl.

"I never once regretted it either. You truly have become a daughter to me and a little sister to Meizu and Gozu over the years. If Ayase was still here today I'm sure she would have loved you as much as I do," whispered Zabuza as he pulled Haku against his chest.

"I'm sorry that the Mizukage would act in such a way, and it shames me that such a man would hold a position of power as he does. I have never agreed with the policy that the Mizukage and the Daimyo of that country have set up. I suppose the Fire Lord feels the same way because the edict to accept you and damn the consequences came straight form him and left no room for argument. With that said I am proud to be the first to welcome you as Shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato," declared the Sandaime as the two tried to compose themselves. He also couldn't help but smile at the relieved looks on the faces of all those in front of him.

The joyful atmosphere changed though when all those present heard Haku gasp while clutching her head and collapsing. Before she could fall to the floor though Zabuza had caught her and lay her down gently while calling her name and shaking her. No getting any kind of response, he started to panic as he called her name louder and louder while shaking her by her shoulders.

* * *

_**Present**_

Zabuza was relieved to see that she was okay now and wasn't suffering from any side effects from her collapse. He was surprised to hear that Naruto seemed to have done something similar, though the details of his collapse were sketchy. Anko and Rin wasted no time though in rushing Haku into one of the many spare bedrooms that littered the house. Once they had her settled in Rin had quickly run a check on her and declared that nothing was wrong with her, despite Zabuza's claims that _something_ had to be wrong with her.

Having that happen to Haku so suddenly scared him in a way he hadn't been before. He still felt powerless, just as he did with Ayase, but this time it hurt more. He was _there_ for Haku unlike he was for Ayase and he was powerless to do anything to help her. It was something that he was never used to, and never wanted to feel again. Now that he could see her smiling and laughing with Shikamaru and Hinata he couldn't help but feel his fears evaporate like the mists he usually conjured to fight.

As conversation seemed to stop as Naruto walked into the room fully dressed, and with a smiling Hokage trailing him. Once the blond had entered the room he wasted no time in going over and talking with his friends. The Hokage on the other hand moved over towards the "adults" that were supervising the part.

"I had heard you were going to take them out on the town, but I can honestly say I think it best you keep the parties here for now. Who knows what would happen if you tried to make it through the obstacle course while drunk," said the Hokage as he walked up to Anko, Rin, and Zabuza.

"Knowing Anko-chan she would probably do better at the course then she does when sober," jabbed Rin before ducking a punch from the dark haired Kunoichi.

"At least I didn't try my hand at table dancing when I was sixteen and drunk," countered Anko, causing Rin to sputter, and nearly causing Zabuza to spit his drink into the face of the village leader.

"Jokes aside now, I came to inform you that you will still be one of the proctors for the upcoming Chunin exam Anko," cut in the Hokage before they could reveal any other secrets. His words though seemed to sober the apprentice of Orochimaru quicker then anything else could have.

"Wait, if I'm a proctor that means I can't enter them into the exam," was all Anko could say while fighting back the scream she wanted to release.

"I know, but this is something that I could not get the council to budge on. They would not budge on this, not even after Asuma offered to take the position in your place. Many of the other Jonin involved were not too happy with the position of the council. I know it will be hard to break the news to the others, but there was nothing I could do Anko," claimed the Hokage solemnly. As he finished talking though all noise in the room seemed to have stopped, and the temperature had dropped several degrees.

The Hokage could only sigh at the atmosphere now in the room and knew whom to turn to as soon as the killing intent filled the air. Everyone in the room had turned to see Naruto seething and taking deep breathes of air from his spot by Hinata. With each breath there seemed to be a small chakra pulse that went through the room and caused several empty bottles to topple over.

"Naruto I suggest calming down before you do something you may regret," ordered the Hokage in a commanding tone as he leveled his eyes at the blond Shinobi. Everyone in the room could see the words taking hold, as Naruto seemed to slowly calm down and look up and across the room at the old man.

As Naruto locked eyes with him, the Hokage nearly regretted his actions. The look of pain, anger, and fear in his eyes nearly caused the Hokage to buckle. He could understand each of those feelings coming from the blond, and all because his own village saw him as more of a threat then anything else. It hurt Naruto to know that many in the village would view him as nothing but a demon, and because of that it hurt all of those close to him that knew his secret. Each of these emotions displayed in his eyes were easily reflected in many of the people that were in that room. Even the lazy Nara seemed to be angered by the actions taken against his team.

"All hope may not be lost though Naruto-kun. I will have to do some checking, but I may be able to allow you to gain training experience that would trump anything the Chunin exams could offer. Of course it wouldn't just be training for you but your entire team," said the Hokage as he tried to defuse the situation some.

"What could trump me being able to take the exams and reveal who I am," shouted Naruto angrily and with clenched fists.

"That will be enough of that Naruto. I thought you had grown out of these tantrums when you graduated to become a Genin," counter the Sandaime as he narrowed his normally gentle and kind eyes at the blonde. His words seemed to strike a nerve with the boy though as he flinched slightly and released all his anger to hang his head in shame. "Because of recent events I think it may be best that you do not attend the Chunin exams this year. One of the reasons I was late joining you tonight was partly because of the meeting with the council, but it also had to do with me setting up alternative training for your team," added Sarutobi as he looked at the gathered members of Team 10. His eyes had finally settled on Anko and had taken on a hard glint that caused the experienced woman to shiver.

"Naruto because of your recent unique mission, and the people you may have to overcome to achieve that mission, I have been allowed to inform you that your entire team will take part in this mission. Because of this and the experience and skills that may be required, you will all be training with perhaps one of the most skilled Ninja that does not revolve around chakra based assaults," finished the Sandaime. He smiled though when he saw the eyes of Rin and Anko widen as his words sunk in.

"Hokage-sama you can't mean training with them can you," asked Rin suddenly.

"Yes I do mean them. Not only do they offer a valuable new facet to the life of a Ninja, but also the experience they gain there will be required for future events. However, due to who Team 10 will be going against that will not be the only training they go through. Because of his training with seals already, Naruto will be training under a seal master to perfect those skills," answered the Sandaime once again.

"Someone mind filling in the lost people," asked Shikamaru as he walked closer to the group of adults. His question surprised the Hokage and Anko, who both suddenly remembered the reason they had kept this a secret from the other two members of team 10.

"Well you see Shikamaru, Naruto here was given a mission straight from the Daimyo," said the Hokage as he settled into a chair and motioned for everyone else to take a seat as well. "In order for the three of you to complete this mission you will be training with the best there is in the field of assassination, Ninjutsu and seals, and of course you will gain some knowledge in the area of medicine should you need it," continued the Hokage once everyone was seated.

"Um, H-Hokage-sama what is the mission," asked a suddenly very nervous Hyuga.

"The mission is very simple…"

* * *

_**Fire Country**_

A white haired man could be seen sitting behind a fence with giant clouds of steam coming from behind it. Said man also had an eye locked into a hole in the fence and was busy scribbling down notes on a notepad in his lap. Every now and then he would let out a small giggle as the targets of his observations would move around or something of interest caught his eye. When he wasn't writing he was trying to wipe the drool from his mouth on his olive drab sleeves.

"Hehe I really hit the jackpot this time! Who would have thought that Tsunade-hime's apprentice would be here! I can't wait until Hime comes out herself, and then I can die a VERY happy man," muttered the man as he continued watching a dark hair woman behind the fence. It didn't take long for images of a busty pig tailed female with a diamond in the center of her forehead jumping around to filter into the mind of the man. Forgotten were his notes as his mind went into overdrive and created more vulgar images of said woman.

So caught up in his fantasies he never noticed a cloaked figure settle in at another hole and watching the same dark haired female. Of course there were other women and females within the hot spring, but it seemed that the one woman with short dark hair was the only one either person recognized. Sadly though both of the men were too far gone in their respective fantasies to realize just how much noise they were making. Of course it didn't help that a small pig with a necklace of pearls and a red vest had gone to the hole the cloaked figure was sitting at.

The dark haired woman, known as Shizune, wasted no time in screaming the word any man at a Hot spring dreads hearing. The one word that could cause many men immense pain because of the resulting beating they would surely get if found in the area. It didn't mater how fast the two men were normally because of the righteous feminine fury that boosted the speed and strength of those inside of the hot water. After the beating Shizune quickly dressed and moved to inspect the two men who she led the charge on. It was just her luck that she knew _both_ of the men and couldn't resist helping them.

"Jiraiya-sama you should be glad Tsunade-sama wasn't here. If she was you might just get a second glimpse of death before she healed you," stated the woman as she stomped her foot in front of the white haired man.

"As for you, I can hardly believe you would still be acting like a kid! If it wasn't for the promise made to Arashi-sama I would have probably taken out your other eye by now," growled Shizune as she turned to look at the other figure on the ground. Ton-Ton could be seen nosing the man and hoping to get the man's attention. When the man still failed to roll over and pat the small pig on the head it started to panic and went to bite the man's hand this time around, still nothing.

Shizune hearing the pig's panicked pleas ran over to inspect her downed friend. With the man on his stomach she couldn't do much and so she rolled him over onto his back. Doing so caused the hood to reveal a head of dark hair a Konoha hitaiate draped over the man's left eye. He was in his mid twenties, just like the woman that was rushing to check him over.

"Hehe Shizune-chan, I think you just fulfilled one of his many fantasies," stated the white haired Sannin from behind the panicked medic.

The woman was confused until she looked down and saw that the man had his one eye open and a perverted smile and blush on his face. Her anger only started roaring like an inferno as she saw that his normal charcoal black eyes had been replaced with a three crimson comma's around a single dot. What truly caused the young woman to blow though was when the young man finally spoke.

"I didn't know you had slug designs on your underwear Shizune-chan."

Yes, the young man was in for a world of pain with those simple words. Of course it didn't help that Shizune in her haste to check on the two men forgot to tie her kimono as tightly as she normally does. That was perhaps the only reason the man was able to see what he did.

It was during the torture of the dark haired man that a golden haired spider monkey climbed onto the shoulders of the white haired man with a scroll held within its tail. From its perch on the shoulder of the man the monkey was chattering, and even hit him on the head with the scroll a few times when he failed to respond. Growing tired of the small animal's noise he quickly grabbed the scroll.

"Settle down Goku, I was just enjoying the show. I guess Sensei decided it was time I came in and took the kid under my wing huh," asked the man once the monkey settled down. He was surprised though when the animal shook its head and pointed at the scroll. Frowning, Jiraiya wasted little time in unfurling the scroll and reading the contents of the message.

"WHAT! Blast that Rikimaru and the entire Azuma clan! I can't believe they would give him that kind of mission so early," were the only words the perverted Sannin said before he stormed off to find the bar that his female teammate would be drinking in. Behind him he left a very confused Shizune and an equally confused but thankful hooded man. Both shook off their confusion though to follow the taller man on his quest to look for their caregiver.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

The next day in Konoha didn't start with the flare that many others did. With the downcast skies and the subdued mood that settled in the village, people couldn't help but feel just as gloomy. This feeling was exhibited perfectly with the Genin of Team 10.

Shikamaru and Hinata were shaken up by what was being expected of Naruto in the upcoming months. Who wouldn't be surprised though? It wasn't every day you were given a mission by the ruler of the land you live in, but that wasn't nearly as surprising as being told to _kill_ someone you grew up with should he turn traitor. So it was expected for them to be a little down after hearing the news of what they would be preparing for instead of taking the Chunin exams. Despite knowing all of this they still did not know who was going to take up their training.

It was with these thoughts in mind though that the trio decided to walk around Konoha and try to enjoy their week off. They only hoped that they would not have to go in and answer any more questions for the Hokage or the ANBU that had been sent as a follow up to Sui. Now the only thing they cared for was relaxing and forgetting about all the problems in the world as best they could before their lives changed once again.

It wasn't all bad though. They had learned that while they failed in the A-Ranked mission of killing Gatoh, they had succeeded in an A-Rank mission of infiltrating and capturing Gatoh. The only reason it had been considered that was the number of men, and the security used by Gatoh's people. They had also been put into the books as having completed a B-Rank mission of convincing Momochi Zabuza and his group of agreeing to join Konoha. Of course it wasn't that hard to do in the first place, but what the council didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"So what do you guys want to do," asked Naruto as they walked through Konoha. Every now and then he would kick a random rock that was sitting in the road or mutter something the other two couldn't hear.

"Sensei said we should avoid training for now and just relax," said Hinata from Naruto's right. Her voice may have sounded confident, but inside she was still torn up about what was being expected of them. To kill people you didn't know was one thing but to be asked to kill a person you grew up with was another.

The young Hyuga wasn't a fool though. She knew that her two teammates were just as torn up as she was over the issue. She nearly regretted finding out just what had been bothering Naruto on their way home. Hearing what was expected nearly made her regret ever wishing to know, but not nearly enough to make her _not_ want to support him.

"Too bad it looks like it is about to rain. Watching the clouds is never that fun in this weather," muttered Shikamaru. He was more skilled at hiding his feelings but it didn't keep him from showing how much he disliked the current reason for their training.

His fear was probably far different from his other two teammates and more akin to the ones Anko must have been feeling. How many people would go up against a Sannin, one as twisted as Orochimaru, and expect to come back alive? Granted the mission didn't require them to go directly against Orochimaru, just stop him from gaining something. Even then though you could hardly deny the Snake Sannin one thing and not expect him to get his revenge on you for interfering.

Each member of Team 10 stopped though when the sound of something shuffling along the cobblestone road behind them. After being on the same team for over four weeks it didn't take a leap in logic to know who or what it was behind them. As each of them turned they were all greeted with the sight of a square shaped "rock" with a set of eyeholes in the front.

The term rock was used loosely though since you would never see a perfectly square rock naturally. At the same time you would never see one with the color scheme that this rock was covered in. The final no brainier was the eyeholes and of course the muffled voices that could be heard from within.

"Come on out Konohamaru. How many times do I have to tell you that you need to find a better disguise," groaned Naruto as he dragged his hand down his face while shaking his head. He couldn't help but smile though when he heard Hinata laughing softly from beside him and Shikamaru groaning as well at the antics of the young Academy students. Shortly after his declaration there were a series of muffled sounds before the box exploded in a cloud of black smoke. This was followed by the distinct sound of three young children coughing loudly and trying to wave the smoke away so that they could breathe easier.

"Man, how many times do I have to tell you guys the right formula for the smoke bombs," said Shikamaru with an exaggerated sigh. If he was honest with himself, Shikamaru might have admitted that he enjoyed the attention from the young group.

"I tried to do it myself, but Konohamaru insisted that he knew how to do it," said a sniffling Udon. The self-appointed leader of the trio shouted indignantly at his friend and probably would have jumped on his back had he not been caught by Naruto.

"How many times do I have to tell you Konohamaru, let Udon handle the delicate things. A good leader knows his own limits and isn't afraid to let a more qualified person handle something they can't handle," said Naruto as he hit the young Sarutobi on top of the head.

"See Konohamaru-chan, I told you to let Udon do it," added in the young red head Moegi from beside Hinata.

"Naruto-kun you're being a little too hard on him. From what I remember you weren't the poster child of a perfect leader at his age," cut in Hinata as she tried to pry the boy from Naruto's hands. It didn't take long for Naruto to relent to her words and gentle hands prying his fingers from Konohamaru's shirt.

"You're lucky she was here Konohamaru. Now what do you guys want this time around," asked Naruto as he watched the boy hide behind Hinata.

"We just wanted to know if you guys could play today."

"Yeah, since you were gone on your mission it has been kind of boring around here."

"Please Nee-chan, can you play with us."

Asked Udon, Konohamaru and Moegi, though the girl did it while pulling Hinata's arm and looking up to her. The three Genin only looked at each other before smiling and nodding to their young protégées. With that, the three children took off running down the street with the Genin following right behind them in a slow jog. It may not have been something that "respectable" Shinobi would do, but when you want to relax and ignore the problems in the world nothing else matters.

Minutes into the impromptu chase the Konohamaru Corps turned into one of the numerous side streets of Konoha to evade their pursuers. When they did though, the pursuers heard the distinct sound of one of them crashing into something larger. Hearing Konohamaru's shouts only gave them reason to increase their pace and see what or whom the young boy collided with on that side street. Turning the corner they were surprised to see the grandson of the Sandaime Hokage being held in the air.

* * *

_**Anko**_

After the night of drinking and explanations to all about Naruto's secret mission, Anko wanted nothing more then to continue getting drunk for the rest of the week in an attempt to drown her problems. Aside from having to explain the situation with Naruto and the team's current ongoing mission, she also had to let Naruto explain just what happened to himself and Haku earlier that day. She had very little sleep that night and one hell of a hangover the next day. That still didn't stop her plans of running to her favorite dango stand and holding up in there for the rest of the day.

With her was Rin, who seemed to feel the same way about the news she had heard the previous night. Of course she was more then a little upset since she had more information to continue making herself paranoid about the upcoming months. Having spent the last few years living and training with whom may end up the primary trainers; she knew all too well what Team 10 should expect. She also knew that the training Anko had to have put them through would be nothing compared to what they would get with Rikimaru. That was of course the main reason she opted to join Anko in her binge drinking session.

"I can't believe that old man would decide to do something like this," slurred Anko as she slammed her fist down on the table. Doing so only rattled the six empty bottles that already adorned the table, and scatter the sticks that once held her previous dango.

"It could be worst Anko-chan; could you imagine what could have happened if he trained under that bastard Kakashi," questioned Rin as she sipped at her own bottle.

"I don't care! How can I agree to him training under Rikimaru-sensei AND that lecher Jiraiya; There was a reason Otou-san called him Ero-sensei after all," retorted Anko after knocking over the table.

"I don't think Jiraiya-sama could corrupt him more then you already have. I seem to remember hearing Inoichi-san talking about how Ino said Naruto's clones would try and feel her up when he made large numbers of them," countered Rin as she grinned evilly at Anko who had the decency to hang her head in shame.

"Yeah… I'm just not use to living with someone else again after living by myself for so long. So excuse me for walking around in the nude as I used to do when living by myself. I don't do it nearly as much as I used to though. Besides he practically does the same thing. When we first started living together he just walked around in boxers," responded Anko while trying to keep from laughing. "You really should have seen him though the first time it happened. He flew so far back from the nose bleed that I thought he was going to fly all the way to the monument."

Both women laughed at the mental image of the boy who created the infamous **Oiroke no Jutsu** being sent flying by a nude woman. If you had asked anyone else, you would have been told that the blond should be immune to such things. That however was proven wrong by Anko on several occasions, and Hinata helped some but never without the help of Anko.

"Still though you obviously corrupted some part of his mind if his clones are starting to act like Jiraiya-sama. If anything Naruto just might refine his perverted abilities and become the true successor to the Toad Mountain Sage," said Rin as she stopped laughing long enough to talk normally.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Imagine if Kaa-san was still around and what she would do to Naruto or me if she found out. I suppose the only thing we can do is hope that Hinata-chan keeps him in line like Kaa-san did with Otou-san," answered Anko as she tried to set the table straight and ordered another round of drinks for herself and Rin.

"That shouldn't be a problem since Tsunade-sama is supposed to be helping them. Of course that depends on if she can be talked into coming back to the village long enough."

"Bah, one mention of Kaa-san's long lost son being around and she'll jump at the chance to come and see him. Her and Jiraiya-sama treated Kaa-san and Otou-san like they were their own kids after all," said Anko with a small smile on her lips as she remembered the blonde Kunoichi.

"Yeah I guess you are right. I can't wait to see Shizune-chan again though. It's been too long since the three of us have been together and enjoyed a night out on the town," was all Rin could say in response.

The two lost themselves in a feeling of nostalgia as they thought back to better times for both of them. Back when things were more peaceful and their friends were all still around, and not a time when they had to train those who they saw as siblings to kill someone they had grown up with. For Rin it was finding a new family when her old one banished her for losing her nin-ken partners. For Anko, a family that took her in when she was betrayed by the person that meant the world to her.

"Isn't it a little early to be drunk Anko," asked a female voice from behind the two Kunoichi stationed at the table and lost in memories. The person addressed spun around and could only smile as she laid eyes on another one of her few friends that were still within the walls of Konoha.

"Kurenai shut up and drink! You'd probably be more then willing if you went through what I've been through the last few days," countered the purple haired Kunoichi as the red-eyed woman took a seat at the table.

"It can't be all that bad already Anko you just got back to the village yesterday. I mean I haven't even had the chance to yell at you because of something Naruto did yet," countered the woman wrapped in bandages as she took one of Anko's many bottles of sake.

"When was the last time you had to tell your Genin team "no" on something are big as the Chunin exam," asked Rin as she looked at the dark haired woman who had joined them.

"What? You mean you aren't entering them in the exam Anko! I know I already volunteered my team for the exam and I know Kakashi won't hesitate to do the same with his own," were the words of Kurenai as she kept from trying to scream them. She knew how much Anko cared for her team and could hardly believe that she wouldn't let them take advantage of such an opportunity.

"It isn't like I don't want to Kurenai; it's just that I CAN'T. Before I took the team I was going to proctor the second part of the exam. Since I became the Jonin Sensei I had been trying to get out of proctoring the exam. Hokage-sama told me last night though that the council won't let someone else proctor that portion," answered Anko while curling her lips up in disgust.

"Couldn't they find someone else to take over for you," asked the leader of Team 8.

"Sure they could, I mean Asuma was practically throwing himself at them for the chance to proctor the exam. Then again you just know how much they hate my guts and how much they hate Naruto," sneered Anko in response as she growled slightly just at the thought of those pompous asses on the council.

"And because Anko already knows what the second portion of the Chunin Exam is, they won't let her allow someone else to take the team any more," added Rin before Kurenai could say something else.

The crimson-eyed Kunoichi just looked on as the other two women silently fumed. Given her own relationship with Hinata, she could understand how they felt. If Hinata were on her team and because of some biased or political bullshit kept her from allowing Hinata to grow, she would probably be doing the same thing right about now. Looking at the other two women though caused another question to move to the top of her list.

"When did you return to Konoha Rin? Last I heard you had gone to the capital," asked the Kunoichi before she waved off a waiter who came asking for her order.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

Team 10 couldn't help but laugh at the predicament that Konohamaru had gotten into. Shortly after they had decided to play a game of "ninja tag" Konohamaru had run right smack into one of the most violent Kunoichi in all of Konoha, Haruno Sakura. That however wasn't the cause for their laughter. It was the resulting verbal exchange between the two that caused Naruto to roll on the ground laughing at Sakura's stunned face and Konohamaru's words.

After being picked up by Sakura, and greeted as the "Honorable Grandson", Konohamaru had decided to voice his opinion of the girl in red. It should be understood that Sakura did not enjoy being insulted by the young Sarutobi and to add to her ire was the insults thrown about her "relationship" with Sasuke. The answer to the insults was just what everyone who knew Sakura would have expected. A very violent explosion.

The pink haired girl wasted little time in slugging the grandson of the Sandaime into a wooden fence. After that she stomped her way towards the boy who had tried to scramble to his feet as quickly as possible and run for his life all at the same time. He probably would have been caught again had it not been for the help of his two cohorts, Moegi and Udon.

The two academy students grabbed their friend and dragged/carried him over towards the members of Team 10 who were still busy laughing. Right behind them was Sakura yelling to who ever would listen that she was going to pound Konohamaru into a very fine paste when she got her hands on him once again. Naruto was of little help while in the throws of laughter. Hinata tried her best to placate the violent girl, but failed miserably. Shikamaru probably could have stopped the girl, but seemed to prefer laughing at the boy's expense. Because of this Konohamaru ended up having to run further down the alley, with Moegi and Udon in tow, to escape the "pink haired banshee's" wraith.

This though ended up snapping Team 10 out of the jovial mood they were in and settle into a more serious persona as Konohamaru crashed head first into a figure dressed in black with a white bundle on his back. His black body suit had a strange symbol on the front and the hood seemed to have pointed ears on the top. Along with that was the strange hourglass like symbol that marked the man as a member and Shinobi of Sunagakure no Sato.

Behind this boy was a female dressed in what appeared to be a white battle kimono that just ended above her knees. The shoulders of the kimono barely hung to her body, and might have fallen off if it wasn't connected by a mesh like top. On her back was possibly the biggest fan any of the assembled Konoha citizens had ever or will ever see again. Around her neck hung the symbol of the Hidden Sand village, just like the one that rested on the forehead of the previous Shinobi. One thing about her that nearly caused Naruto to break out laughing, despite the circumstances, was that her blonde hair was done in four pigtails on the top and back of hear head.

"Watch where you run you fucking runt," growled the boy with the bundle on his back as he stumbled back slightly. It didn't take long for him to regain his footing and before Konohamaru could even think about touching the ground he was picked up by the collar of his shirt.

"Kankuro stop it. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves," said the blonde Kunoichi behind the bundle carrier.

"I'm not going to do anything except show this punk not to mess with anyone from Suna," growled out the boy whose name had been revealed to be Kankuro. He only smiled as Konohamaru struggled to get free form his grasp while yelling at the older boy to let him go.

"What ever. If you get in trouble don't say I didn't warn you," said the fan user as she snorted slightly and moved to turn her head away before seeing Sakura and the members of Team 10. "Before you do that though why not look ahead," she added as an after thought and nodded towards the other end of the alley when Kankuro looked at her questioningly. Turning and seeing what his sister was referring to he could only smile at what appeared to be four wet behind the ears rookies.

"Hey you cat freak I suggest you put Konohamaru down now," yelled Naruto as he moved Moegi and Udon behind him and slowly walked forward.

"What'd you call me short stack," shouted Kankuro angrily while shaking Konohamaru at Naruto at the same time.

"He said to put Konohamaru down," answered Shikamaru before Naruto could say anything else.

'_Why did this have to happen today of all days? They are obviously from Suna, and the boy is a puppet user if I had to venture a guess. The Kunoichi is more then likely mid-long ranged support with various futon jutsus,'_ thought Shikamaru as he evaluated his opponents.

Kankuro could only smile at seeing the guts of the two Genin. It wasn't often people tried to talk back to him, and those that did normally ended up being all talk and no skill. So having someone who was just as tall as the Kunoichi behind him telling him what to do was something he found rather funny. It was also funny to see the dark haired boy with the blonde try to stand up to him, because to Kankuro they are all nothing but peace loving rats who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag.

"Just what do you plan on doing if I don't," snapped Kankuro again as he shook Konohamaru around once again. This time though the boy yelled out in pain as the shirt was chaffing and his head was snapping in different directions. The two Suna Shinobi only had seconds to blink as Naruto's eyes narrowed and he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The same time Naruto was concealed by the smoke Konohamaru's figure was also obscured from sight. Those who knew Naruto knew what he had done. Even Kankuro could tell what happened since he could feel the obvious difference in weight. That though still didn't prepare him for the kick that sent him to his knees in pain.

"That is what happens when you act like you are above everyone else," said Naruto as she pried the hand off his shirt. The others watched on as the taller boy sunk down to his knees with his eyes watering as his free hand moved to shield his injured privates from further damage.

"T-Temari," groaned the boy as he fell on his side and into a fetal position. The blonde female, Temari, looked on in surprise at what had just been done to her brother.

'_That boy didn't waste any time. He went straight for what would end the fight the fastest. He had to have kicked Kankuro pretty hard as well to cause him that much pain,'_ thought the fan wielder as she raised her hands and waved them in front of her.

"I don't want any trouble. I was against this the entire time," was all she said as several sets of eyes focused in on her.

"Next time as visitors for the Chunin Exam you could try showing the host village some respect," muttered Shikamaru from his position beside Konohamaru. "You should be fine Konohamaru. Hinata might have something to help with the chaffing from your shirt, but for now you seem okay," said the Nara as he stood up from inspecting the academy student.

"You stupid little bastards," groaned Kankuro as he made his way to his knees. As he fought to stand up he locked eyes with Naruto and only became angrier as he saw no sign of fear in those now cold blue eyes. Looking at the others he saw no sign of fear in the eyes of Shikamaru or the obvious Hyuga of the group. He still managed to take some small delight in seeing Sakura's panicked eyes as she clasped her hands together and watched on. What infuriated him the most though was that now the three littlest "runts" were showing no fear now either. Instead they seemed to be looking wide-eyed at the blond boy and the dark haired one as they acted as a shield.

With a little more effort he stood to his full height as he unsung the bundle from his back and slammed it down in front of him. With his other hand he reached over to grab a loose bandage and to begin unwrapping one of his puppets. The entire time his painted face was contorted in a sinister smile as he prepared to show the Konoha Shinobi just what Suna was made of.

"You can't be planning on using _that _already Kankuro. You know what's going to happen if we don't return soon," pleaded Temari as she started to look around frantically now. The fear in her voice seemed to carry over to the other boy before he shook it off and tightened his grip on the bundle.

"This won't take more then two minutes," answered the puppet user as he pulled his arm back to unwrap his prize puppet.

For the first time since the confrontation Naruto cursed slightly and mentally kicked himself for forgetting his weapon pouches. He could always call on his Alter power, but to do that in this situation would reveal too much about his powers to a possible enemy.

Shikamaru was already moving through a series of hand seals as he prepared to use one of his families many techniques to subdue the hostile Nin. He like Naruto though was cursing himself for forgetting his other weapons.

Sakura was fighting the urge to shout for them to stop, and yelling for someone to come and help them. She knew that the members of Team 10 could handle themselves, but to be faced with Nin from a foreign land was nearly as bad as the first time she had encountered the Demon Brothers.

Hinata managed to conjure up one of the few scowls she had ever used at the words of the Suna Shinobi. If there was one thing she always hated it was being looked down on, just as Kankuro had done. It had become one of her few pet peeves once she started training under Anko, and she would be sure to cause the kabuki painted boy immense pain for doing so. When Hinata activated her Byakugan though she gasped slightly at what she could see all around her.

On either side of the alley was one of the Demon brothers with their clawed gauntlets ready to impale what ever the puppet user decided to use. Joining them in the trees was Zabuza and Haku with weapons at the ready should they be needed. Each of them was already wearing their Konoha hitaiate proudly.

Aside from them was a red haired boy who appeared in a swirl of sand a little to the left of the alley. On his back was a massive gourd with several seal tags and markings across it. Inside of the gourd she could see sand swirling and waiting to be released from its prison. What startled her more then anything else was that this boy seemed slightly crazed as he appeared. The veins could be seen clearly by her without ever having to focus any more chakra into her Kekkei Genkai.

"Kankuro stop, if you don't I'll **KILL YOU**," said the boy as he settled on the branch and glared down at the now frozen puppet user. Even Temari was frozen in place as the crazed boy spoke up and delivered what many knew was not a threat. He WOULD kill the boy known as Kankuro if he had to.

"B-but Gaara they started all of this," yelled the boy in black as he stumbled away from the voice of his demented brother. Without answering the boy right away Gaara had vanished and reappeared in a swirl of sand. This time though he was on ground level and had locked eyes with Naruto. They held each other's gaze without shaking. Both could feel a primal rage within them as they laid eyes on the other. Both of their respective demons were stirring and calling for the death of the other.

The sand in the gourd starting to pool around the feet of Gaara as he raised his hands to his head to grab the sides and shake it to fight off the influence of the monster locked within him. The seconds ticked away as everyone watched and listened to the red head mumble about "blood" and pleasing his mother.

"I'm sorry for the actions of my team mates," said Gaara finally as he straightened up and turned to face the prone forms of Kankuro and Temari. "Sensei has been looking for the two of you. Return to the hotel at once," said Gaara in an emotionless voice.

Both Shinobi quickly nodded their heads and made to follow the words of their little brother. Before they could make it out of hearing range they heard him ask for the name of the Shinobi they had been facing. Hearing this only caused them to shudder slightly. Whenever Gaara showed an interest in you, you were sure to die shortly afterwards. In this case they wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill them in the upcoming Chunin Exam.

"The name is Uzumaki Naruto," said Naruto, cutting Shikamaru off before he could say anything about manners, and proper etiquette.

"I see. My name is Sabaku Gaara, and I look forward to seeing you in the upcoming exams," answered Gaara as he turned to lead his siblings away from the area. Before he could get to far though he was stopped by the words of those he considered "worthy prey".

"As much as I'd enjoy that, it seems my team won't be taking part in the exams this time around. Perhaps though we might meet at another time during the exams," answered Naruto as he locked his eyes with the gourd carrier.

Even though he didn't say it aloud the three understood just what he meant. The only question though was just how much did he know, and HOW did he know about their plans for the Chunin exam. Looking at the two that were beside and behind him only confirmed that they TOO knew what the blond boy was talking about. The only ones who seemed to be left out of the circle were the pink haired Kunoichi and the academy students that were at the other end of the alley.

"I see. Then perhaps we shall. I hope nothing happens to you before that time," were Gaara's parting words as he and his siblings moved on towards where they were staying.

Once they were gone Sakura and the three students heaved sighs of relief at the confrontation with such a scary person finally ending. Sakura had long since forgotten her anger at the young Sarutobi and weakly trudged away as she thought about the things she had seen and overheard during the confrontation. She had a number of things she needed to reflect on. One of the biggest being that if those were the type of people coming for the Chunin Exam, would she _really_ want to risk taking part in it.

Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi were all talking about how brave the members of Team 10 had been, and thanking them for what they had done to save Konohamaru. Their words though were barely heard as the ones they were praising were still looking at where the Suna Shinobi had been.

"Man, before I just wanted to be in the exams to show off. Now though I want to be in it because of all the strong competition that is bound to be there," said Naruto as he smiled and laughed.

The others could tell he was still mad about not being able to enter the exams. After seeing Gaara though, it only became more apparent. It seemed as if Naruto was shaking with anticipation at the chance to fight a strong opponent. More importantly though it seemed as if even Kyubi was eager to fight the red headed Suna Nin. That alone told Shikamaru and Hinata more then enough to know how dangerous the boy was.

"Naruto-kun, how about we go get something to eat," suggested Hinata, eager to take his mind off what he couldn't do until it might be too late. She could see Shikamaru nodding his head in agreement from beside her while shoving his hands deep into his pockets once again.

The Jinchuuriki could only nod his head as he looked up into the sky. He couldn't help but smile when he saw the clouds breaking to reveal the blue sky and streaks of sunlight. Whatever storm was brewing was already breaking up for the day. To him it seemed that the day and the future were already starting to look better as the minutes ticked away.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," answered Naruto as his smile grew and he put both his hands behind his head and smiled up at the sky. Those gathered around the alley could only agree. Of course not everyone would be heading out for ramen to eat on that day.

* * *

_**Sasuke**_

Uchiha Sasuke looked on at the members of Team 10 left the alley and moved on to eat the "swill" known as ramen. As he watched them though he couldn't help but feel angry at the events he had watched unfold.

He didn't doubt that the Hyuga had seen him. He didn't doubt that the former Kiri-nin had seen him. He wouldn't put it past Naruto and Shikamaru to have seen him either. The whisker marked blond had after all knocked his pebble aside with that Kawarimi. None of that pissed him off nearly as much as when the one known as Gaara appeared on a branch next to his and _ignored_ him. It made his blood boil at being dismissed as nothing, and then interest being shown to those he looked down on once again. It was with that in mind that he crushed his remaining pebbles into a fine dust before jumping from the tree and heading towards his home.

After being dismissed the previous night by Kakashi he wasted little time in rushing home and searching for any information his family may have had on the strange ability known as _Alter_. It had sounded extremely familiar to him and it annoyed him that he couldn't place things that he should. Because of that he spent the entire night pouring through the numerous scrolls that littered the Uchiha compound. Unfortunately though many of the scrolls ended up covering the basics of muffin making, how to sharpen a kunai, and several other things he deemed useless. None of them had the information he wanted. That didn't keep him from looking through every scroll repeatedly though.

Once home he stormed to the room where all of the scrolls were stored. He started picking through them one at a time, just as he had done the previous night. He felt that things would be different tonight. Something within him compelled him to continue his search and told him that he would find his answer this time around. He soon found his answer when he came upon a scroll talking about the history of the Uchiha and Konoha.

It was strange though. He had read over this scroll hundreds of times since the death of his family. Each time he had never seen a word of what he was reading now. Never before had he seen this red scrawl on the scroll talking about an ancient clan known as the Kazuma, and their bizarre power. Reading on though he remembered hearing stories told by his mother about watching the Yondaime Hokage embroiled in a fierce battle. How the man could vanish and reappear faster then many could blink.

'_This is the ability they talked about. The power of an _Alter_, and something that was hard for an Uchiha to find a method to counter it. Each of these abilities was always different, and no two were ever the same. That moron Naruto has this power flowing in his veins! He is a member of this Kazuma clan, and more importantly it seems he may be the son of the Yondaime Hokage. That explains everything,'_ thought the Uchiha heir as he dropped the scroll he was reading. So caught up in his anger and annoyance he never noticed his eyes changing from red to black as he closed his eyes to reflect upon the things he had just discovered.

* * *

**A/N:**

(1) Yes, That was done on purpose. Kazuma was the name of one of the Alter users in the story s-CRY-ed. I figured to pay my respects to that by having the abilities linked to that name. It also makes it easier to come up with the name commonly used for the Yondaime; Kazama. Time passes, and over the years names will change slowly from region to region.

Yeah, it has been a while since I've last posted. To be honest with everyone I've kind of lost my muse for my stories. The Manga seems to be going down a steep downward spiral, and I'm losing interest in the events occurring in the actual series. Even with that happening though I will never abandon these stories. I will see them through, it is just going to take me longer at some points to produce a chapter.

Aside from the manga becoming about as bad as some fan fiction stories, I also suffered from Shikamaru syndrome. I was dragging things and putting off writing… Not a great thing to do I know, but while looking for something to spur my creative juices up it seemed like the best thing to do at the time.

Because of the lull, I've ended up watching a great deal of Prince of Tennis, Hikaru no Go, MegaMan Star Force. Bleach, and numerous other shows to try and kick myself into gear. Between those, and reading other mangas like AirGear I was finally able to get this chapter out. I can't promise the next chapter in less time then this one took, but I will try my best to get it out as soon as I can.

So please stick with me, and I will try my best not to let you down.


	9. The Journey Begins

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of _Naruto_, s-_CRY-ed_, or _Tenchu_. I only use them for writing this story.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

**A/N:** Sometimes for me the hardest part of writing a chapter is figuring out just how to start the chapter. Just starting a chapter can take me some time but once I'm over that hump everything else becomes easier. I still find myself changing the start of a chapter over and over at times when I walk away and come back to work on the chapter again.

* * *

_**Fire Country**_

Many denizens of Fire Country enjoy the serenity and beauty that can be found all across the large country. From North to South and East to West you could always find secluded beauty tucked away in the trees that littered the area. Not only that but many people, mainly Shinobi, would swear that the Land of Fire held some of the greatest hot springs that could be found across the continent. That of course could be from the Volcanoes that could be found in parts of the country, and several dormant Volcanoes that actively heated many of the most luminous hot springs.

As great as the scenery was, a certain two people were not given the chance to enjoy it. Instead of relaxing, a white-haired man and a dark-haired man were running for their lives. Behind them were a young blonde-haired woman with a green jacket and a dark-haired woman in a dark kimono with a pig in her arms. Both females looked like they were ready to kill the two men who were barely able to stay ahead of them.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME JIRAIYA," screamed the buxom blonde as she swung at the white haired man.

The man in question, Jiraiya, had just enough time to avoid being buried in the resulting crater, and the aftershocks that followed. With each mighty swing the man was slowly starting to regret finally telling his former teammate about the mission that she was being given by the Hokage and the Daimyo of the country.

Of course it didn't help that she had just found out the person she saw as a daughter DID have a son. That son was still very much alive and the target of ridicule from his own home. Not only that but he was being targeted by some evil organization that wanted him dead for the curse that was placed on him by his father. Yes, she had a great deal to be pissed about, and the only one there to vent on was the man known as Jiraiya.

The other two were involved in the chase for an entirely different reason. This one started from when the dark-haired man decided to describe the undergarments of his female friend in detail out in public. Of course that hardly goes over well with any member of the opposite sex, and it only becomes worst when done inside of a crowded bar.

Throughout all of this there was one victim who had nothing to do with any of the problems popping up. The so called masters of the poor thing though forced it to go with them on their rampage through the countryside in search of vengeance. That was the predicament that Ton-Ton now found herself in as Shizune and Tsunade chased after their targets.

"I can't answer your question when you are trying to kill me," yelled Jiraiya as he avoided another ground shaking blow.

"Get back here you pervert! I'm going to cut that tongue of yours out and make you pay for embarrassing me at that bar," screamed Shizune as she launched several kunai at her target.

"You wouldn't do that Shizune-chan. If you didn't then we wouldn't be able to play that game you love so much any more," retorted the man and angering the Kunoichi even more.

"If you had told me sooner Jiraiya I wouldn't be trying to kill you now," roared Tsunade as she stopped to try and catch her breathe. With her stopping each of the other participants stopped in a mutual silence as they eyed other.

"She was like a daughter to me you bastard! The last thing she said to me before I left was that she wanted me to take care of her baby if anything ever happened. SHE WANTED ME TO BE HIS GODMOTHER," yelled Tsunade as she collapsed to her knees hammering the dirt with her fists as she fought back tears.

Years of pent up emotions had bubbled up once she heard that a person who may as well be her grandson was still alive. It made hr angry with herself for not seeing the clues, and for not following through with the one thing Yuta Kanami had ever asked of another person. All things were forgotten as the strong woman broke down into tears.

"Do you know what I've been through because of you? Can you imagine how many times I've cried myself to sleep at night or came back in a drunken stupor while trying to ignore Kanami's words as they echoed through the recesses of my mind," sobbed Tsunade again. By now Shizune was by her side and had already brought her teacher into a protective hug as she looked at Jiraiya and the fourth member of their little party.

It wasn't something Jiraiya showed much, but if anyone saw him at that moment they could tell how bad he felt. His face was shadowed by the passing clouds and parts of his hair, but beneath that one could still see the glimmer of tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. It was a side of the Toad Sage that was last seen by those close to him when his premiere Student passed away saving Konoha.

"I know how you must feel. I honestly only found out a few years ago Tsunade. I think I found out at what might have been one of the darkest times for Naruto as well. From then on I tried to do what ever I could to give him a purpose in life and all for the soul purpose of making sure he never came to that deadly cliff again," muttered Jiraiya as he slowly made his way to where the Kunoichi were seated.

"Then why didn't you tell me! I could have taken him away from that hell hole," shouted the blonde woman once again. Even though the woman tried to lunge at her team mate, she never moved. Shizune was using all of her strength to restrain Tsunade and was thankful that the other's strength wasn't nearly as potent when depressed like this.

"Truthfully, I knew nothing of the promise you made. As far as I knew you hadn't been in Konoha for years. The last time I ever remember hearing Arashi talk about you was when he told me about this runt traveling with you now," solemnly said Jiraiya as he motioned towards the man off to the side.

"I had no idea you and Kanami-chan had ever exchanged such words, and if I did I would have gone ahead and told you. That is all in the past though and we need to concern ourselves with the present and the future. You and I spend too much time being caught up in the past Hime. Its time that we moved forward and do what we can," added the Gama Sennin. His voice was laced with regret and sorrow as he spoke, and even with a cursory glance Tsunade and Shizune could see tear tracks running down his cheeks.

Everyone stood, or sat there in silence as they each thought over the things that had been revealed to them. The two members of the _Densetsu no Sannin _were fighting to regain their composure, and the two younger Shinobi present were either wondering what was going or, or who the two were talking about. Of course on of the two knew exactly what was going on. After nearly thirty minutes had passed, Tsunade stood and removed herself from Shizune's embrace. As she stood she leveled her eyes at her tall teammate, and within them was a resolution she hadn't shown for years.

"Tell me everything you can about them Jiraiya and leave nothing out. If I find you so much as lied or embellished the true I will hurt you," commanded Tsunade as she rose to her full height, which was still shorter then that of the males present. The man could only nod at her command as she let a smile finally cross his face.

"I'll tell you everything. First though let's head to some place a little safer and more private," answered the Gama Sennin as he started back towards the village they had left not to long ago.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

It would have been an odd scene for most people, if it hadn't of been in a village run by Shinobi. Even then though many of the civilians thought that it was a peculiar to see the Hokage, a man with a sword as tall as himself, two men with breathing mask designed like Oni, a woman with orange square tattoos on her cheeks, a woman wearing practically nothing but a skirt and trench coat, and what looked like four children dressed in what could be described as civilian clothes. Of course it didn't help that all of the _obvious_ Shinobi were gathered and talking with the "children".

"No one is going with you, but you can expect someone to meet you once you leave Konoha and are on your way down the road. Learn what ever you can from those who come to teach you and be respectful of their ways. If you can even complete some of their most basic lessons you will have improved greatly," stated the Sandaime as he looked at the faces of Shikamaru, Hinata, and Naruto.

"Don't let the old man's sweet words fool you. The training can be hell and will often test your mental, physical, and emotional limits. Not only that but expect to have to face some of your worst fears," added Anko as she fought the urge to hug her little brother in front of all of Konoha.

Truthfully she and Rin had spent a great deal of time with Naruto in the time they had before he left. During that time they talked about the past, and told him more about the parents he never got to meet. Some of that time had been spent training, and a great deal of it had been spent telling embarrassing stories about each other. Most of that was done by Rin and Anko though, leaving Naruto sporting a constant blush from many of the tales.

Hinata had spent time with her father, and with the Hokage there, they informed him of her new mission. He ended up handling most of the news rather well, and only became upset when he heard about who and where she would be training. It seemed that he too had heard the horror stories of the training that they might possibly be walking into. After being excused, she could still hear her father and the Hokage talking back and forth about what was being expected of her and the others.

The same had happened at Shikamaru's house, except that his mother was all for _more_ intensive training. His father had pulled him aside and tried to offer comforting words, but that failed horribly when he was hit with a rolling pin. In the end he was told to take it like a man and make his family proud. It was an honor to be asked to train with the people who would be training him, and he should feel honored to even get a chance at seeing the Daimyo of the country in person. None of that helped to calm his nerves though.

"When you get back brat I expect you to have improved with your sword skills. It'd be a damn shame if you slacked off in your kenjutsu, _Iaid__ō_, and Battōjutsu lessons that I gave you," stated Zabuza from the side as he adjusted his heavy sword. Even with his new clothe facemask Naruto and the others could see him smiling proudly at them.

"Little sister shouldn't forget the poisons and plants we told her to keep an eye out for," stated Meizu as he placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "The Land of Fire is known to have some deadly plants, but they are often just hard to spot," added Gozu as he placed his hand on her other shoulder.

Since they learned of her use of Senbon they had taken it upon themselves to teach her some basic poisons. Along with that training they had given her a worn book that listed several poisonous plants, animals, amphibians and reptiles. One of the only reasons she accepted this gift was the idea of finding venoms and poisons that would help neutralize opponents without actually having to kill them. Even though they knew that, they made her promise to at least keep a few deadly concoctions in case of emergencies.

Haku had also given her a worn book but this time it was about herbs and their medicinal abilities. It wouldn't do to go about creating and toying with poison and not know how to cure them. Inside it also listed little quick fixes for other illnesses that they might come across. Anko and Rin had been quick to tease her about certain other properties. Those properties, according to Anko and Rin, would increase her chances of sharing a bed roll with Naruto dramatically. Of course they also pointed out that certain poisons could also allow Hinata to do what she wanted to do with Naruto. Both topics had caused her to have more then a few racy daydreams.

"I expect you to keep them out of trouble Hinata. Lord knows the trouble two boys could get into on their own," growled Rin as she fought the urge to turn and yell at the person burning a hole in her back.

She had spent her time avoiding Kakashi and anyone else from her past life in Konoha. The only one she HAD spent time with was a certain Chunin instructor. That was only because she had learned he was one of the few people within the walls of Konoha who treated Naruto like a human, and not garbage. It was awkward at first, given their first meeting when she had returned to Konoha. It had lead to a few jokes on Iruka's behalf about his name, and tastes in food. Even with that occurring they had gotten along fairly well. After a few awkward situations when both tried talking about the other's family, they decided to stick with talk about Missions.

Even though she spent her time trying to avoid Kakashi, the silver-haired man continued to follow her. Why he kept trailing her she didn't know, but she could hazard a few guesses as to why. Those were all questions that she would prefer to avoid though and knew he wouldn't take a hint.

"We may have only had less then two days to prepare you for this trip, but it shall be more then worth it. I suggest Naruto that you read the scrolls given to you by your new sensei. It may contain more information on just what you will be up against. As for you, Shikamaru and Hinata, I want you two to keep Naruto out of trouble. He may have matured some, but he still has that prankster streak inside of him," added the Sandaime once again as he motioned for the guards to open the gates.

"You better watch it Old Man! If you keep picking on me like that I'll have to use that forbidden jutsu on you," snapped Naruto as Shikamaru practically choked the boy while dragging him towards the gate.

During this time Hinata was also trying to apologize for Naruto and the scene he had caused. By now though most of the people present at the gate knew this was just their way of showing their love for each other. Even though Naruto had matured, like the Hokage had said, he still had a rebellious streak in him. It wouldn't be until the gates of Konoha had finally closed that the laughter and shouts finally died down and all parties involved went their respective ways. The three Genin paused though as they looked back at the walls of their home.

"We better memorize these walls because there is a chance they may never look the same again," muttered Shikamaru as he looked at the imposing walls of Konoha. If what he was told about the events of the coming months was true, then the walls may never be the same again.

If was foolish to think that though, at least it felt like that to him. The only times the walls of Konoha had ever been breached was when the Kyubi had attacked Konoha. No human army had ever come close to breaching the walls of Konoha. In the history books it was said the walls held because of the "Will of Fire", and each and every defender fought for their lives against any enemy that tried to conquer them. It was something that was said about any great Village in history when such a thing happened.

Public history books hardly ever talk about the construction of the walls or war time preparations. No one talks about trenches and booby traps that are set before an invading army makes it to the walls. Most of all they never talk about the breaches that nearly succeeded. It wasn't as alluring and didn't produce the sense of pride that the civilians took in their home town. It was only the Chunin and other skilled Shinobi that learned the truth. It was only because they were held responsible for the defense of the population of Konoha.

No basic Genin was privy to this information of course. Living with the man who was responsible for the battle plans of the Hokage helped him to absorb such things. It was something that was talked about in the dead of night at his home, and often his father would fall asleep reading over maps and defense strategies. This became more frequent though with the Chunin exams approaching, and the many hushed meetings between his father and the Sandaime.

"I only hope things don't change too much," said Hinata quietly as she prepared to leave Konoha for the first time without a teacher or family to watch over her.

Being part of the Main House, she was hardly allowed to leave the village like this. Her father and the elders were often extremely protective of her, even though the elders could care less at times. They were always so afraid of someone targeting her for the clan's Kekkei Genkai, and her not being able to defend herself from anyone who would try. It was because of the over protectiveness of her clan that she had so few friends.

The fact that she was a Hyuga should have been enough for her. Over time though it became more and more apparent that she wasn't your typical Hyuga. She was kind to everyone and didn't have that high and mighty attitude that many of her clan inherited. She cared for everyone she came across, and never seemed to be able to put her clan before the happiness of others. To her, as a Hyuga she should be helping the others that were not as privileged as herself or the rest of her clan. She wanted to give back to Konoha and the people within it and not just the Hyuga clan.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm kind of glad to be out of the village again. I wish we could get more missions out side and away from the village like this," said Naruto as he looked around at the forest.

Both of his friends knew how much he enjoyed being outside of the wall of Konoha or out in the wilderness portion of Konoha. He always seemed more relaxed and at home and when within the main portion of Konoha he always seemed tense. Even though he had friends and family he still couldn't forget his past and the things that happened to him.

"Well we can't stay here forever; lets go," ordered Shikamaru as he turned away from the gates and started down the path. With one last glance both Hinata and Naruto followed him away from their home.

The trio walked down the path away from Konoha and to the west of the village. They had no clue on where they were headed, just that they were to meet their escort somewhere down the road. Exactly who the escort was a mystery to them, and it didn't help that they had no idea what to expect. The only thing they knew about the escort was that they would know information about the three Genin to assure them they were not enemies.

Since they were dressed are "civilians" they had to keep any talk of Shinobi training and other such skills to a minimum. Even Hinata had decided to wear another set of contacts to keep her heritage from being discovered so soon in their travels. While it wasn't a problem for Shikamaru and Hinata it was turning out to be one big problem for Naruto. Aside from not being able to talk about Ninja related items, he had also been forced to back like a civilian. For Naruto that meant using an actual backpack to carry everything in while they were is disguise.

Not only did he have to now dress and act like a civilian but he was also forced to travel like one. It normally wasn't that big of a problem except that this time he was anxious to get one with his training. Because of that he was a bundle of energy just waiting to explode and finally move into action.

"We should be at a small rest stop within a few hours. By then it should be near sundown and we might as well setup camp there. So once we arrive setup your tents and then Yuki, you can gather some water, and Minato and I will gather some wood for the fire," stated Shikamaru as he looked at Hinata and then Naruto. It was another little precaution they had taken, using names other then their actual names to avoid anyone recognizing them. They also kept a small Henge over themselves to change their appearance, but that would change when they made camp for the night and had a chance to change their appearance to match the Henge.

It was something they had talked about the days before they left and seemed to make more sense as they realized just what kind of sendoff they would have. If they were to leave in the dead of the night, or at a time when they could mix with other travelers it would have been easy to leave disguised. With the Hokage wanting to send them off though that became impossible to do. Because of that they resigned themselves to changing once they were on the road.

Even as they made plans for the night the neglected to take one thing into mind. That one thing was that their guides would meet them at the first opportune time and that would be at the first "rest stop".

* * *

_**Konoha**_

Back in the Hidden Leaf Village life was moving on. After seeing off the members of Team 10, the gathering of people left their separate ways. Zabuza and the Demon Brothers left with the Hokage in order to serve out their community service time. Haku left to train and attempt to unlock the powers that she had awakened earlier that week. Anko left to check over her portion of the upcoming Chunin exams and work off more then a little of her pent up aggression. Rin, well she made her way through the training grounds until she came to the Memorial Stone.

Once she made it to the small clearing that the stone occupied she stood there looking down and reading off the names that she recognized. The names of her parents, and the family that she cared for were right there. The names of her lost team mate, one who gave his life so that she could continue living and helped to changed the views of her only other living team mate. She finally stopped at the name of the man who had adopted her and welcomed her into his little family.

'_I'm back home Otou-san. You have no idea how hard it was to come back after all the years I was gone. I wish you and Okaa-san were still around; because then Otouto might not have had it as rough as I've heard,'_ thought Rin as she fell to her knees and traced the name Kazama Arashi with her fingers.

"Okaa-san probably wouldn't be mad about how things turned out. She was always so understanding and kind to everyone. Hell I'd imagine she wouldn't be mad at those Iwa bastards that took her away or the Kyubi for what it did," said Rin as she felt tears starting to run down her cheeks now. This time she didn't try to fight them. She welcomed the release of the pent up emotions. This was something that she needed just as much as anyone else mourning the loss of a loved one.

"I don't know how you would feel. I know you wanted him to be seen as a Hero but it seems like your faith in the village was undeserved. They scorned him and treated him like trash for most of his life. There are only a few who cared for him but he is slowly changing that as the days go by. I can already see many in his generation taking a liking to him. I my generation and the ones before will be harder to turn but if anyone can do it, it is him. He is too much like," she paused as the wind shifted and she caught the scent of a person she had been trying to avoid. Slowly she shifted her position and tugged a kunai free of her wrist holster.

She knew the odds of hitting her target were slim but maybe if she was lucky she could hit something important to her old team mate. So with a flick of her wrist, the weapon was shooting through the air like a missile as it made its way towards the bushes behind her. When she didn't hear the tell tale sign of it cutting through flesh, clothing, or paper she let out a heavy sigh as she turned around.

"You know you might put someone's eye out if you throw these things around so casually," commented a silver-haired Nin as he walked out of the bushes and the shadows of the trees. Twirling around his finger was the kunai she had sent at him.

"Yeah, and maybe I could rob you of the gift given to you by Obito," shot back Rin as she fought to keep from growling at a man she had grown to hate.

Kakashi froze at her words and the venom that was sent with them. He had never before seen her so violent towards him, but then again the last time he really saw her was nearly twelve years ago. Since then she had vanished off the face of the earth and as the years went by he had assumed she was dead. It wasn't until recently that he found out she was still alive and for the life of him he couldn't figure out where she had gone.

She was no longer the kind and caring Kunoichi that he knew from twelve years ago either. She was far more hostile towards him then she had ever been in the past. That spoke volumes about the changes she had gone through since she was the peacekeeper of their Genin team under the Yondaime Hokage. It was fairly disturbing to him to see the change and experience it when he had first returned from the mission to Wave country.

"Rin… Rin you don't really mean that do you," asked Kakashi in a dead voice as he watched her turn away from him and rub her eyes to get rid of the tears that had started to fall.

'_What caused you to change to much Rin? Where have you been all of this time,'_ questioned the Copy Ninja as he watched his former teammate closely.

"What if I did mean it Kakashi," snapped Rin with her back still turned to the one-eyed man. It didn't take much to realize just how angry she was.

"You couldn't mean that Rin… Not after everything Obi," started Kakashi only to freeze when the woman turned around and locked eyes with him.

Unlike the members of her former clan she didn't take on the likeness of a canine when angered. It was one of the reasons why many people in the clan shunned her, and perhaps why she was never given a Nin-ken to work with like others in the family. It was a nasty little secret, but it did happen once every so often when the mother and her litter of pups tried to find a suitable partner for their offspring.

When it had come to Rin none of the pups from that generation wished to bond with her and the mothers didn't care for her. Something about her scent was off to them and caused them not to trust her. In clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga, it would be the equivalent of never being born or never being able to activate the clan's Doujutsu. For a family like the Inuzuka it caused the child to be ostracized by most of the human members and viewed as worthless by most of the Nin-ken of the family.

No one knew what had caused such a thing to happen with Rin, and very few cared enough to bother trying to look into the matter. It wasn't until she was placed on a team with Kazama Arashi that someone took the time to actually look into the matter and solve the problem. The results had shocked many, and even caused her to be expelled from the Inuzuka clan. All because of something that had happened when she was still just a baby ripped from the safety of her parents by war, and left for death in the Forest of Death.

Kakashi was one of the few who knew the entire story, and yet even he still flinched when her eyes changed from the normal human eyes to those of a beast. To be more exact those of a wild animal, and often seen as a canine's worst enemy. It wasn't just the slits in her eyes but the eyes themselves becoming more elongated and slanted as she took on a feral appearance.

"Don't you DARE SAY HIS NAME AFTER THE WAY YOU HAVE ACTED," roared the woman as she crouched down and arched bores her fangs and claws at the silver-haired man.

Her words seemed to shake the trees that surrounded them, and in the distance Kakashi could swear he hear another roar in response to the woman in front of him. It almost seemed as if Nature was on her side in this matter and there would be no chance he could win.

"Why Rin? What have I done that made you hate me so much," asked Kakashi as he raised his hands to ward off any attack. He sounded almost as if he was pleading with her for an answer as he backed away.

"That's just it! You did nothing! When you did do something you alienated him just like everyone else! I remember hearing you calling for his death after Sensei sealed the Kyubi away in him! Even though Arashi-sensei wanted him to be seen as a Hero, YOU ignored his words and treated him like a monster. You treated him just like everyone else did but for a select few. You disgust me Hatake Kakashi, and you have no right to call Obito your friend or Arashi-sensei as your teacher," yelled the auburn-haired woman as she straightened up and started breath deeply. Kakashi could feel the anger rolling off her in waves now. Even though she was trying her pest to calm herself, the rage and killing intent could easily be felt by the greenest of Genin.

Her words had also taken him by surprise. Ever since he had seen her again he had never expected this to be the reason for her hostilities. Majority of his mind felt she still held some resentment towards him for shunning the chance at a family with their Sensei. Another part felt she may still hold some anger towards him because of what happened with Obito. Despite being called a genius though he had never thought this would be the reason for everything.

As he stood there frozen by her words, and with his mind kicking into overdrive her started thinking back to the times she had mentioned.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

The village had just been saved by the Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi, and the demon sealed into the belly of a new born blonde child. The Sandaime had brought the child into the council chambers and placed him into a makeshift bed as the ANBU were sent out to gather those members of the council that were capable of attending an emergency meeting. Because of the number of injuries sustained by many on the Village Council, the emergency meeting was held two days after the sealing to the Kyubi.

Some of the most prominent Shinobi and clans were in attendance and many of them had one thing in common. The leaders of the Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, Uchiha, Hyuga, and several prominent members of the Elder Council, including Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Danzo were all calling for the death of the child. Hatake Kakashi, the only student of the late Yondaime Hokage present, was calling for the death of the boy in order to kill the creature that killed his sensei.

There was a small group begging for the life of the boy to be spared, and among them were the patriarchs of some of the noble clans of Konoha. Aburame Shibi stood firm in his belief that the Yondaime's seal would be able to contain the demon for all time. He made it known that he felt the child should live a long a prosperous life. Even with his calm demeanor though many could tell he was becoming tired of the constant yelling. It helps that a dark cloud of Kikaichu was starting to float around him, and their buzzing was becoming hard to ignore.

Uchiha Mikoto was trying to plead with her husband, Fugaku, to see reason. She was only rewarded with him yelling at her, and asking how she could do nothing to repay the beast for the death of members of their clan. Even then though she tried to plead and make him see that the boy was only the vessel and should not be blamed for events beyond his control. Things had heated up to where she had asked him if he would have asked for the death of his own child if they were to hold the demon. That line of thought only earned her a harsh backhand and sent her to the floor as he demanded that she leave the meeting.

The wives of the Ino-Shika-Cho members were attempting to reason with their respective husbands, and didn't seem to be gaining any ground. Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza were each set in their ways despite what their wives would say. While they didn't get violent, like the Uchiha Clan, they made it known that they would want nothing more then the death of the child. It was perhaps the only time anyone had ever seen Shikaku stand up to his wife, and time would tell that it would be the ONLY time he ever did it.

The only reason Hyuga Hiashi was not meeting any trouble form his spouse was because of her pregnancy and the need to keep her safe in the Leaf's moment of weakness. He didn't doubt that if she was there he would be hearing similar things from her. Even as he looked at the small blond bundle he could hear her words echoing through his mind, and was slowly starting to change his mind.

'_Arashi would not just pick any child off of the street or out of the hospital. The boy looks too much like… NO! Kanami-chan died before she could have the baby. If that was true though,'_ thought Hiashi as he tried to piece together the puzzle placed in front of him.

It wasn't long before the Sarutobi had finally walked into the room, and ceased all demands for the death of young Naruto with a glare towards those asking for it. He silently moved towards his seat around the small crib that held Naruto. Before sitting though he silently walked up to the boy who had some how managed to sleep through the noise of those around him. Only when the Sandaime reached his hand down to moved errant strands of hair did he finally wake up and smile at the old Hokage.

It had surprised the man that the child had stayed safe the entire time he was out of the room. The ANBU and Jonin he had set to guard the boy did not report any advances towards the boy, and from what he could tell even Shibi had helped to keep watch over the sleeping tyke. Perhaps since the people gathered made no advances…

'_No. It would be foolish to think the general populace would accept him so soon. They knew I had people I trusted keeping watch over and him did not want to test their luck,'_ decided the Hokage as he picked the small bundle up and walked to his seat. Before he was seated though, a man in a Green jumpsuit appeared with a bottle for the now crying baby.

"Thank you Gai," said the Hokage as he accepted the bottle and put it to the small boy's lips and watched him feed away. The green-clothed boy then jumped away once again to where he was keeping watch on the proceedings in the council room.

"Hokage-sama, do you by any chance if the boy has any family," asked Mikoto from her husband's side, earning a glare from the man.

The Hokage looked up towards the woman and frowned at the redness of her cheek. He quickly shook it off though and silently promised to speak to the woman after the meeting was over and find out just how often such things happened. Looking around the room he could see similar looks of distaste on the other females in the room, and several of the men who know of Fugaku's behavior.

"No, I'm afraid not Mikoto-chan. I'm afraid he may be all that remains of his family," answered the Hokage as he adjusted the baby.

"Surely he wouldn't just randomly pick a child from the hospital," shouted Yoshino as she slammed her hands down on the table. She was looking accusingly at Sarutobi but the look seemed to be dismissed by all but the Hokage.

"Arashi left no word as to who the child's parents were. I can only assume he selected him because of the dire situation we were placed in that night two days ago," answered the Hokage while wincing at the glare he was being given by the Nara woman.

'_Why are you lying to me you old coot? The child has to belong to Arashi and Kanami; he looks too much like Arashi for him not to be! If you would only tell them then they might change their minds,'_ shouted Yoshino internally as she tried to cause to Hokage to spontaneously combust. The Hokage didn't miss this as he fought the urge to shiver uncontrollably as the feeling seemed to intensify with every second that passed.

"Then we can kill the thing without having to worry about taking away someone else's family. I say we do it now before it has a chance to regain any of its powers," shouted Fugaku. Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza, and several others shouted in agreement. The only thing that seemed to stop anyone from acting was the fact that the Hokage was currently holding the object of their hatred.

"My Kikaichu tell me that he is very much a human, and nothing else. The only abnormal thing that they detect is that rather large amount of chakra within him. I would have to say that he is just as human as your son, Sasuke," countered Shibi evenly from behind his coat and glasses.

The jab didn't go unnoticed by those around the table as Fugaku jumped from his chair and made to jump over the table towards the Aburame Leader. His once dark eyes were now a crimson color as his Sharingan came to life to just show on angry he was. In response the Kikaichu within and around Shibi started to buzz at the anger rolling off of the Uchiha head.

The tension hung in the air as the two clan heads continued to stare each other down as the other members of the council watched on. It wasn't only the Hyuga that were a pain in the side of the Uchiha. The Aburame had always been a clan that were hard for the Uchiha to best, and it was only becoming more of a problem as the clan started to breed fire resistant Kikaichu. The two Figure heads of both clans held a very intense rivalry, or at least Fugaku did.

"ENOUGH! Sit down Fugaku and remember where you are," yelled the Hokage when he noticed the slight tense of Fugaku as he prepared to make the first move.

As his voice echoed throughout the room the sound of a crying baby soon followed as Naruto was disturbed from his meal. All of the tension seemed to evaporate as the infant continued to wail at the top of his lungs, and caused Inuzuka Tsume and her partner Kuromaru to cringe at the volume of his pleas. Even the young Kakashi could be seen cringing and slowly reaching for his weapon pouch as the blond bundle screamed his head off. Just as Kakashi was about to grab a weapon, a hand clamped down on his own and squeezed.

At the same down the rest of the room could hear the sound of the door being thrown open as a very pissed off pair of Kunoichi made their presence known to the rest of the room. One had auburn hair and rectangular orange tattoos on her cheeks and the other had short violet hair hanging down by her shoulders. Both looked like they had seen better days as they limped into the room.

As the auburn-haired girl came in both Tsume and Kuromaru started to growl at the young girl. In return she just narrowed her eyes and growled back, except her own was more feline in Nature. Even the other Kunoichi managed to hiss at the clan head of the Inuzuka as she noticed what they were doing.

"You two should still be in bed, Anko; Rin," commented the Hokage as he tried to calm the bundle in his arms. The once fierce looking Kunoichi were quickly by his side, and Rin quickly took hold of the baby to quiet him down. They both had an arm encased in plaster and a large amount of bandages. They looked like they had been through hell and back, and given what they had gone through over the past few weeks you wouldn't be wrong in making that assumption.

"We heard what was going on and thought we should be here, so shut it old man," snapped Anko as she turned and glared at the Hokage, and then Kakashi who was flexing his hand. "You bastard, how could you think about pulling a weapon on this baby," hissed Anko as she looked at the one-eyed Shinobi.

"How could any of you act the way you have when Arashi-sensei wanted him to be seen as a hero. Do all of you lack faith in his abilities, the same abilities that helped to end the war with Iwagakure," hissed Rin while trying to keep her voice down.

"How dare you two say such things to us! One a reject from her own clan, and the other the trash left by Orochimaru," snapped Fugaku as he glared at the young Kunoichi.

"Shut the fuck up you stuck up snob. I don't want to hear from anyone who enjoys having a stick shoved up his ass," retorted Anko as she jumped on the table, wobbling as she landed, and glared at the man. Even though he didn't condone such behavior, the Hokage was trying his best not to laugh at the actions of the Kazama sisters.

"Sarutobi, I suggest you get them to leave before they overstep their boundaries," commented Danzo with a hint of disgust at the antics of the two sisters. This time he, Homura, and Koharu were nodding in agreement. Tsume still looked disgusted at seeing the wayward Inuzuka in the room, and the male members of the Ino-Shika-Cho looked to be a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"Enough. Why are you two here when you should still be resting," asked the Sandaime as he looked at the two young females.

"We came because we heard a bunch of old farts were planning on killing the Hero of this village," shouted Anko who was quickly glared at by Rin when Naruto started to stir.

"Not only that but we need to ask you a question," said Rin as she tried to keep her voice from cracking.

Sarutobi could already tell what she wanted to ask. Despite the times she glared at Anko and Danzo, she had never taken her eyes off of the sleeping bundle in her arms. He could see the tears starting to form at the corner of her eyes as she rocked Naruto back and forth while softly singing to him. It was something he was hoping to avoid, but now he knew he would have to tell one of the biggest lies of his life.

"I know what you may be thinking Rin, but that isn't what happened," said the Hokage gently as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Both of the girls turned to look at him as he said the words they had been dreading.

"I'm afraid neither of them made it through the ordeal," added the Hokage as he noticed Anko jumping down from the table to join Rin. Both of them started to tear up as the words sunk in, and upon seeing this, their leader wrapped his arms around them in a grandfatherly hug.

"What are you talking about Sarutobi," demanded Danzo from his place while glaring at the three within the Hokage's arms. At hearing his words, the Hokage looked up at the battle scarred man and then back to the three within his arms.

"As you may know, Kazama Arashi was married to Yuta Kanami. Nearly two weeks before the Kyubi attacked a squad of Iwa ANBU came into Konoha and kidnapped her and left these two for dead. They however managed to make it to the village and informed Arashi of what happened. I was left in charge of the village while he left to retrieve his wife. When he found her she was badly beaten and severely injured. He freed her easily enough but the trip back to Konoha and the fact that the Kyubi was attacking only made her condition worsen," stated the wise man as he looked around the room to judge everyone's reactions.

Hiashi was solemn and that was to be expected given his relationship with the former Yondaime Hokage. They had worked together several times in the past and each had earned the respect of the other through combat. They had become something akin to brothers as they fought side by side throughout the last Great War. Because of that Hiashi was often one of the few who knew the secrets of the Yondaime.

Fugaku almost looked pleased at hearing the news of the death of the Kazama family, or at least the allusion to the end of the dreaded clan. Even though the family was small; they held a power that could have rivaled those of the Uchiha if someone took the time to breed it. From the ways things sounded there would be no chance of any other of those damnable Alter users popping up.

Similar looks were scattered around the room, but a few looked to be deep in thought. Most notably was Danzo who now seemed to be observing Naruto with a keen eye as he traced the contours of Naruto's exposed body. Some did look downtrodden at hearing the news; such as Mikoto and Yoshino who had been close to the other woman. They were perhaps the closest things to sisters the young woman ever had, and they had bonded despite Kanami being a civilian. That still didn't keep the calculating eye of Yoshino was narrowing and sending a harsh glare at the man.

"When Kanami-chan passed away the night of the Kyubi attack, she was with child. The medics were not able to safe the mother or the child because of complications and the lack of proper equipment due to the assault by Kyubi. There was nothing that they could have done," added Sarutobi as he tried to keep both Anko and Rin from collapsing to the ground in tears.

"Enough of this. We need to handle this demon before it can regain any of its powers," yelled one of the minor councilmen, a civilian.

He was greeted with a harsh glare from those who respected the Yondaime Hokage and those who trained under him. It was enough to cause the man to freeze mid-speech as he felt dozens of eyes burning a hole in him. Others, mainly those who hated the previous Kage were in agreement with the unfortunate man and quickly voiced this and tried to call order to the meeting.

"Hokage-sama, I agree with Uchiha-sama and Danzo-sama. We need to kill this thing before it can come into its power once again," stated Kakashi, speaking for the first time the entire meeting. As soon as the words left his mouth though he regretted it as a pair of plastered fists slammed into his face and sent him flying into the wall.

"Kakashi-teme! How dare you disrespect Sensei's last words," screamed Rin from beside Anko. No longer did she hold Naruto in her hands, having set the bundle in the Hokage's arms the second she heard the words of her former teammate. Both she and Anko were seething as they stood over the crumpled form of the Copy-Ninja as the cast on their arms started to crack and fall apart.

"Enough from you two. I will speak with you after this meeting is over. I promise though no one will disrespect the words and the will of the Yondaime as long as I am around," declared the Sandaime. His voice boomed through the room causing many to smile and others to cringe as they knew there would be no more debating the issue. Once the man was set, no one could sway him from his position.

"You can't be serious. That thing should be dead and you know it," challenged Fugaku as he slapped his palms down in a vain attempt to challenge the Professor.

"I've made up my mind and it shall not be changed. Arashi wanted the boy to live and be seen as a hero. I doubt many of you would follow through with the last wish of the man. Because I now lack the same faith Arashi had in this village I am making a new law; which shall become official once this meeting is over. No one is to speak of the demon sealed within the boy. The only one who may break this law is the boy himself or a person directed by me. None of the children of his generation shall know of the burden he is forced to carry," declared the Sandaime as he leveled his gaze at those most likely to challenge him.

"Hokage-sama what would the punishment be if anyone dared to challenge this law," asked Yoshino from beside her husband. All the while she attempted to keep a small smile from crossing her face as the Hokage exercised his control over the village. Everyone watched as the Hokage brought a wrinkled hand up to cup his chin as he thought over the question.

"The punishment for leaking any S-Class secret has always been the same. I see no reason to change it just for this situation. Anyone who leaks this information shall be sentenced to Death, unless I decide otherwise. The only time they may avid death is if I feel they can be used for another purpose. In that case they shall spend time with Ibiki until I am satisfied we have all the information needed from them. Let it also be known that this law will only be shown in the Hokage's Library, and shall not appear in any of the official records," said Sarutobi as he looked around the room for anyone who may try to voice a different opinion.

Most of the people in the room nodded reluctantly as they accepted the terms the Hokage had set for this new law. Even though they accepted it, he was the village leader; it didn't mean they actually agreed with the new law. Some, like Kakashi, were visibly seething at not being able to kill the object of their hatred.

"Please Hokage-sama! WE must kill that demon! It killed Arashi-sensei and Kanami-sama," shouted Kakashi as he rushed towards the Hokage pleading.

"I've made my decision Kakashi. Your Sensei wanted the boy to be viewed as a Hero by this village, and it seems obvious that very few of you are willing to obey his last wish. Because of that, I will do what ever I can to ensure the boy lives a normal life. This meeting is now over. I want to speak with Rin and Anko in private," stated the man as he flooded the room with enough killing intent to let the people know how disappointed he was in their behavior.

As Kakashi started to leave the room, he chanced one final glance back as he watched his former teammate be led to a chair by the Hokage. He narrowed his eyes in disgust as he looked at Anko and the blond-haired baby as they made their way to a chair as well. Despite his injuries, he clenched his fist in anger and stormed away from the room and out of the tower.

'_I promise that I will avenge you one day Sensei,'_ were his final thoughts as he raced through Konoha.

* * *

_**Present**_

As the thought back to that day he could feel the phantom pain in his hand and jaw come back after several years. As realization dawned on him, he could see Rin smile in grim satisfaction. Even though it was nearly thirteen years later, he still couldn't figure out why she was so obsessed over the young demon carrier. He tried to think about it repeatedly, and he could never figure out why she wanted to protect it. Between him and her, she had been hurt the most. She had lived with their Sensei as a daughter, and yet she cared for the very thing that killed her new parents.

"Why do you care so much about him Rin…? I thought that between us you would have been hurt the most," asked Kakashi as he hung his head in defeat.

"I care because that is what Otou-san would have wanted. I care because that is what Okaa-san would have wanted. I care because that is what Obito would have wanted. I CARE because I know what life must have been like for him. Most of all I care because I have faith in the work of Arashi-sensei," said the girl through clenched teeth. She had honestly hoped that by now the man would have realized just why she would have cared. It went beyond what her family and friends would have wanted. It had something to do with just who the boy was, and what the boy couldn't be.

"He killed them RIN! How can you care about the person who took your family AWAY," screamed Kakashi as he finally lost his composure. Had anyone else been there, the event would go down as the first time the infamous Shinobi had lost his cool in over thirteen years.

"I care because he is the only thing I have left from SENSEI! Open you eyes Kakashi and maybe you would realize just WHY Anko and I care for him," screamed the woman as she stomped towards the man.

"Enough with the damn riddles just tell me already Rin," commanded Kakashi as he tried to straighten himself as she kept advancing towards him.

When she was within arms reach she stopped her advance and looked the man in his only visible eye. She was doing her best to keep from lashing out at the man; as she had done when she first saw him at the front gate. Instead, she decided to settle for a small grin as she continued to look into his eye.

"Do you really want to know Kakashi? I can promise that once you find out you may end up thinking about following in your father's footsteps. Are you willing to risk your life just to know something that should have been obvious? Something that I never should have doubted when I saw him for the first time," asked Rin as she watched him carefully.

She didn't miss him flinching when she had mentioned his father. It had always been a sore subject for him, and even after accepting him as a hero, he couldn't stand talking about it. Because of that she knew it would be the perfect way to fain his attention. The emotions racing across his face and eye were more then enough to let her know how seriously he was taking this.

"I want to know Rin. I need to know why you left Konoha and never said anything. I want to know how Naruto managed to come between us," answered Kakashi in a more subdued tone of voice.

"There never was an "us" Kakashi and there never will be," shot back Rin quickly.

"I suppose the first thing I should do is make you promise that you will not follow the path of your father. Sensei would never want you to take that path and would instead expect you to live a long and happy life. So promise me that Kakashi before I even continue," demanded Rin.

"You have my word as a Shinobi of Konoha, and if that isn't enough I promise on the names carved into this stone," stated Kakashi as he placed his hand on the Memorial Stone.

This could be the only chance he had to learn something that had been bothering him for years. Had she asked him to give up reading _Icha Icha Paradise_ he probably would have agreed to that, but only after thinking on it for a few hours. Maybe, just maybe he could find a way to mend the bridges that had been burned down in the past.

"Fine Kakashi, but you are really going to hate yourself," said Rin with a sinister smile.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

Night had finally fallen as the members of team 10 reached what was called a waypoint on many of the small travel maps used in the Fire Country. It was a place set up by the Daimyo as a place where travelers could stop and rest for a short time or camp for the night if needed. It was normally kept stalked with firewood and was nearly always right by a water source.

Keeping each of these sites stocked and cleaned was often considered a C-Rank mission for the Shinobi of Konoha. The only thing that kept it from being D-Rank is the distance some of the sites were, and the chances of running into bandits and other criminals along the way. Thankfully, though this one was too close to Konoha for bandits to consider moving in on and claiming.

The tent was set up quickly, since it was one large tent to insure the safety of everyone in the group. It could easily be sectioned off to offer some semblance of privacy to the opposing genders when nighttime came around. After they had set up the single tent, they made quick work of finding water and starting a fire with the wood that was present at the site. It was while the male members of Team 10 were setting things up that Hinata took the chance to go about changing her hair color while bathing.

Hinata sighed as she washed the hair dye out of her hair, which was disguised as shampoo. It was one of the many things that Rin happened to have with her, and was willing to give to the young Hyuga for their current mission. One of the best things about it was that it could last for months before washing out or fading. The only other way to remove it was another concoction that Rin had given her. It wouldn't be until after she was done that she would finally drop the transformation jutsu on herself and check her work.

While bathing though she couldn't help but worry about someone stumbling upon her in the small river. Because she was supposed to be undercover, she couldn't risk activating her Byakugan and having to keep track of her contacts didn't help matters much. With those things running through her mind, she tried to keep her developing body beneath the waterline as much as possible. A small part of herself that she kept locked away couldn't help but hope that Naruto would be the one to stumble across her. Each time it popped up though she smashed it down viciously, only for it to resurface again minutes later.

Another growing part of her mind couldn't wait until it was Naruto's turn to bathe and change his hair color. This one had a voice that reminded Hinata very much of Anko and when Hinata tried to picture the owner of the voice she kept picturing herself dressed as Anko. It was starting to disturb her with the way her Sensei was affecting her mentality. There had even been times when _she_ was tempted to use the Byakugan to check Naruto out, and without the prompting of Anko or anyone else…

'_Maybe it's not Sensei and something else is to blame. When I tried to mention it to Otou-san he started acting awkward. For some reason he told me to talk to Anko-Sensei and Kurenai-Sensei, and all Anko-sensei did was try to hand me,'_ Hinata paused as the memory came back of her teacher trying to give her a book often seen in the hands of Kakashi. The only thing said by the woman was that it would teach her everything she needed to know. _'She did say she was only joking though but she still never answered the questions I had,'_ thought Hinata as she sighed mentally.

While her mind wandered, her body was on autopilot as she waded towards the edge of the slow moving river and reached for her towel. After several grueling minutes of trying to move to dry land and keep her towel, dry Hinata had managed to dry herself and redress. Once she was satisfied, she finally moved off to the campsite to see what the other two were up to. As she neared the campsite though she could hear the voices of her two friends and paused to see what boys talked about while they were alone.

It was another part of her that changed while being with Anko, and something she was starting to enjoy.

"There still something I don't understand Minato," asked Shikamaru as he seemed to stir the small pot sitting over the fire.

Naruto looked up at the young Nara obviously confused about what Shikamaru couldn't understand. If there was one thing about the Nara that Naruto respected it was the boy's superior knowledge and ability to wrap his mind around just about everything. Therefore, who could blame him for being confused about this? So with a nod of his head, Naruto let Shikamaru know it was okay to continue with his line of questions.

"I know you told us that a part of your previous behavior was all an act; a façade put on because of something in a scroll you found on your front door. What's been bothering me was how you managed to act the part so well. I mean you had everyone thinking that you actually liked Sakura with the way you willingly took all the crap she dished out to you," asked Shikamaru as he settled down on one of the many logs that circled the fire to act as seats.

Even from her hidden viewpoint she could see Naruto flinch at the words of his dark-haired friend. After that he even seemed to hang his head slightly in shame, as he seemed to take the words harder then they were meant to be taken. It was just another part of him that she had grown to accept; he always kept his heart out on his sleeves so that everyone could see how he was feeling. The only problem was not many people bothered to think about such things.

"Yeah I know Ginta, and it isn't something that I take pride in," said Naruto with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"It all started out as an act at first. As the days, weeks, and months ticked away and gave way to years I guess I did start to fall for Sakura. I started to believe everything I was shouting out to the world. I guess it became easier that way to deal with most things in my life. I kind of forgot it was all an act until the night I found out about my family that night. It ended up bringing be back to reality, and it really helped that Yuki accepted me for who I was," mumbled the boy as he hung his head even more.

It seemed that Shikamaru had noticed the feelings the boy was trying to control, and just nodded his acceptance of the answer. Hinata herself could hardly believe what was said. The last part almost seemed like he was upset, but about what she may never know.

'_Could it be that he is upset for not noticing sooner,'_ thought Hinata as she started back towards the camp with her mind running a mile a minute to try and make sense of the conversation she had just overheard.

"Hey Yuki," shouted Naruto as he stood to welcome his female companion back into the camp. Shikamaru only turned to look over his shoulder, grunted in response, and smiled slightly at the blush he could see on Hinata's cheeks.

"Minato, why don't you go ahead and clean up. We have a good thirty minutes before dinner is ready," cut in Shikamaru before the two got caught up in any kind of conversation. While mumbling about bossy people, Naruto grabbed his clothes and other required items, including brown hair dye, and made his way to the river.

"You two may be getting closer Yuki, but he is still pretty dense. He knows you are a great friend and regrets not realizing it sooner. For you to go beyond friend and to something else though will require you to speak up about your feelings," stated Shikamaru once he could near Naruto splashing around in the river.

When Hinata's head jerked up with a surprised look, and mouth wide open, he fought to keep from laughing. He could imagine she was wondering how he knew she was there listening in the entire time. The thought of Naruto knowing was probably running through her head as well. It was amazing how many times he came across people who had forgotten what the Nara clan did besides manipulate their shadows.

"I caught the scent of your shampoo and soap on the wind. Minato wasn't in position to catch it as well since the smell of the food was mixed in. Helping my dad raise the herd of deer for years helped train my hearing and sense of smell," answered Shikamaru as he saw her about to voice her questions. Again he held back a smirk as she was reminded of that one aspect of his life.

"I… What if he just wants to be… I don't think I could bare that," mumbled Hinata as she tried to form a sentence but her words kept jumbling together. At the same time her fingers looked like they were going to some how magically twist themselves into a knot.

"If he just wants to be friends then it wasn't meant to be. All I know is that you need to let him know how you feel sooner or later," cut in Shikamaru as he watched her tense again at the mention of her feelings.

"I overheard Ino talking about one of the raids once. You know what she said one of Naruto's clones tried to do," asked Shikamaru as he leaned forward to stir the contents of the pot over the fire. "I don't know much about the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**, but I know that it makes solid clones that have all the memories of the original. They have a mind of their own of course, but the memories and feelings is what matters in this situation," added Shikamaru as he leaned back and settled his eyes on the person across from him.

"Apparently a clone decided to stall Ino in a rather inventive way. It decided it wanted to _kiss_ her passionately, or at least as passionate as someone our age could pull off. It also seems like Ino enjoyed the little kiss and seems that some of the clones have been doing other things to distract her," finished Shikamaru; leaving the last part hanging for Hinata to use her imagination.

After he was finished telling the little story though he could have sworn that the weather had just changed drastically, and he wouldn't have been surprised if snow started falling. A shiver went down his back as he looked back up to Hinata and noticed her Byakugan active and his fists clenched. It seemed that his little story had caused a reaction; just as he wanted it to. The only problem seemed to be that if looks could kill, Hinata would have murdered him a dozens times in the span of thirty seconds.

'_I think I just might have caused some trouble for Naruto and Ino. I really hope Hinata doesn't do anything drastic… I wonder what part has her pissed the most though,'_ thought Shikamaru as he tried to overcome the sudden Killing Intent being released by the formally kind Heiress.

'_How dare that blonde bimbo take Naruto-kun's FIRST KISS! That was supposed to be mine to take! I don't care if it was just a clone. He told us that what ever his clones do he learns about when they are dispelled. That means that,'_ ranted Hinata mentally as she started to picture ways to ensure Ino didn't try to make a move on _HER_ Naruto-kun.

It was unfortunate though that Naruto had decided that then was the perfect time to walk into the camp with his towel around his bare shoulders drying his brown hair. To Hinata's misfortune he had neglected drying off the rest of his body and had water running down his chest. This caused several of her earlier thoughts to come back, and sent her into the realm of darkness as her eyes rolled back and she let gravity take over her body.

"Hinata-chan," was the last thing she heard before she succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

Not too far from where they were, two figures sat watching as Naruto panicked and started to fret over his downed friend. One of the figures sat in a worn brown hooded cloak watching the events unfold as he shook slightly with laughter. It was obvious the person was male based on his size and the few glimpses of his face that the hood allowed. He had pitch-black hair and seemed to have an eye patch over his left eye; along with a scar that went from his forehead down to the top of his cheek.

The second figure though was the one who seemed to be all business at the moment. Unlike the male, she wore no cloak to conceal her face. You could see her weapons, twin kodachi, strapped to her and sitting in the small of her back. She had black hair that reached her shoulders and would probably fall further if it wasn't in a ponytail. Just looking at her body and face one would guess her age to be early to mid-twenties. Her face was serious though despite the behavior of her comrade.

"Tch, Jiraiya wants us to take these three in and train them. Konoha must be really pathetic right now," muttered the girl softly as she watched the white haired girl slowly rise to her feet and sit opposite of the brown haired boy who had just returned from the river. From the other tree she could hear the person mumble something un-intelligible as he seemed to disagree with what she had said.

She paused to observe the man, someone she vaguely remembered meeting once before, but time had obviously changed his appearance. Not only had time changed the way his looked, but life in general. The badly scarred face was something she would never forget, and it only caused her to wonder just how he was still alive. Those thoughts were only amplified when she thought about how serious his injuries were rumored to be.

"Hai Ayame they are. It seems like a rather different take on a standard Genin team for Konoha though," spoke the man finally as he jumped over and settled on the branch next to her. The woman in question looked at him, obviously confused at what he meant.

The dark haired woman watched them closely as they ate their dinner and went about cleaning up the little clearing before they seemed to casually sit around the fire and talk aimlessly. She could hardly figure out what the mysterious person meant. To her they seemed like the typical snot nosed kids selected to be Genin in Konoha. Finally she gave up on trying to figure out the answer and turned to look into the lone black eye of the man before nodding at him to finish his thoughts.

"It may seem like nothing but not many Genin are taught how to suppress their chakra to the level of a civilian. For someone who is supposed to be a Hyuga that is easy enough. The same can be said for a Nara; since they normally do not have large reserves. The other one though should be leaking chakra off like a leaking pipe," stated the man finally while smiling at the surprised look that crossed her face.

"The other difference is that for the most part they have selected looks that are fairly common in the Fire Country. The only one that stands out is the female of the group. With her heritage though it would be hard for her not to stand out without a complex Henge or Genjutsu. They are also now using hair dye, makeup, and contacts to alter their appearance instead of a typical Henge disguise. Not many Genin would do such a thing unless they have trained in the more _archaic_ Shinobi methods," added the man as he put a little more emphasis on "archaic".

"Shut up," hissed the woman as her eyes flashed dangerously at the man, and a hand moved towards her back. "Our methods may be considered archaic by many Shinobi villages but we have continued to serve the Daimyo and still get the drop on many of the more modern Shinobi," snapped the woman in a deadly whisper.

"I meant no offense," offered the man as he started waving his hands franticly to ward off any impending blows. "I simple meant that someone has trained them how to survive without the need for chakra to disguise and travel with," added the man as he continued backing away.

"Enough, it looks like they are about to turn in for the night. It seems they decided on a big tent to prevent anything like what Rikimaru pulled when he visited them," cut in the woman as she turned back to their targets.

"Hehe, I wonder if the one boy will be sharing a bed or sleeping bag with the," started the man before he was silenced with a death glare from his female companion.

"If you even think of finishing that statement or uttering another perverted comment I will ensure Tsunade-sama or Shizune make sure there is one less chance of the Uchiha clan being revived," the one-eyed Uchiha could only pale at the threat and the people that would be asked to perform the procedure. For a split second he wasn't sure what would be worst.

* * *

_**Hinata**_

While the three had managed to make it into their tent, none of them seemed ready to go to sleep just yet. Each of them still had several questions running through their mind about the training they were going to take part in. Each of them was worried about just what may happen or be in progress when they returned home after a month. The thought of Orochimaru invading was becoming unbearable to all of them.

"Naruto, you said this Rikimaru guy gave you a couple of scrolls, and one was from your father. You glossed over that and mentioned it contained some dark secret about the Uchiha clan," said Shikamaru as he broke the unnerving silence that had settled in on them. This gained a deep sigh from the boy as he hung his head slightly and started to reach around in his pack with his free hand.

"My dad seemed to have a habit of writing scrolls before his death and addressing them to me. It seemed as if he knew I would always be around or something to take care of the things he addressed in them," whispered Naruto as he pulled out a scroll with a three pronged kunai designed catch to keep it closed.

"This scroll was addressed and written out to me about the time my parents found out they would be having a boy. It talks about a secret from the Uchiha clan that no one outside the clans knows about, according to my father. That may have changed since then I suppose… It is likely one of the reasons why we were given the task we were given by the mysterious bastard," added the boy as he handed the scroll to Shikamaru and Hinata to read.

Shikamaru was slightly nervous about being able to read something that came directly from the legendary Yondaime Hokage. It wasn't often a Genin was given the chance to read the words of the former leader and was nerve racking for the young Nara. Since he had been hanging around with Naruto, he found himself coming across scrolls from legendary Shinobi imparting their words of wisdom to younger generations. This would actually be one of the first things from the Yondaime he had the honor to read.

Hinata was slightly different though. She was one of the few who had been given the chance to read what could be considered the last words of the Yellow Flash. Since then she had the chance to read smaller scrolls written by his wife detailing small ointments that she had made for her husband. She had also helped Naruto along and gave him hints when it came to his father's deadly Rasengan. Because of her past experience she wasn't as intimidated as Shikamaru was but she still could feel the gravity of the information they were about to read.

Nodding to each other they opened the scroll and started to read.

"_Dear Son, _

_This may seem odd; since I am writing this while you are still in your mother's womb. I have had a bad feeling lately though and I felt I should write several things down just in case I'm not around to warn others. Among the scrolls you may get from me, you will see that each possesses some of the darker secrets of Konoha, and one of its greatest clans._

_These secrets are things that I am trying to change now that I am Hokage, and keep very few written records of. The scrolls that I do have written with this information are going to be sent to a close friend for safekeeping, and would only be given to my heir when I ask for them. Should I die before then he will give them to you when he feels the need to give the information to you. There should be no other time for you to read this. That means that you are going to have a great burden placed on you."_

The two paused as they looked up at Naruto who seemed to be busying himself with fiddling with the straps on his backpack. Some might take it as him being bored but they had grown to notice when he was nervous. Why he was nervous they weren't sure but they could guess that it had to do with what they would read further into the scroll. With that in mind, they both turned back to the scroll and started to read once again.

"_I wish I could actually give this information to others, but I can never be sure who is watching, listening, or who can be trusted. Some clans closely guard these secrets, and those clan members would do anything to keep them a secret from outsiders. So changing the inner working of a clan can be extremely dangerous and hard for a group of outsiders to do._

_In this letter I plan to tell you one of Konoha's greatest secrets, one that has been kept from the village, and the Hokages. It is the secret to the Uchiha's greatest power, the Mangekyo Sharingan. I received this information about a month before my team was sent into the Iwa/Konoha war, and from what many would consider an unlikely source, Uchiha Obito."_

Now they seemed to be hooked at finally getting some idea on what the scroll was talking about. Knowing that it had to do with the Uchiha only piqued their growing interest more. Next to the Hyuga, they had been highly secretive and extremely fierce about keeping their clan's secrets secret. None of the ceremonies had ever been viewed by outsiders. Not even the Hokage had been privileged to witness some of the events within the Uchiha walls. Many would kill to be able to witness these events and it seemed the Hokage had found out about one of them.

"_Obito came to me one night when it was pouring down rain and he was soaked to the bone from typhoon that was currently hitting Fire Country. He looked as if he had run from Suna to Konoha in record time, and could barely form any coherent thoughts. I brought him into my home and with some help from your mother, got him into some dry and clean clothes. It wasn't until he had finally warmed up that he told me of what brought him to my home in the dead of the night._

_He had been walking home after our latest training session and a trip to Ichiraku's, so it was late. As he was heading down the streets of the Uchiha Sector, and he noticed the lights on inside of the temple that is there. Confusion and curiosity got the better of him as he went to see what was going on, and it was there he saw the Elders of the clan meeting. They were discussing the status of an Uchiha who had just come to the rank of ANBU, named Ryoma. He had a fully matured Sharingan, but it seemed he was only lacking one thing to have it evolve into a perfect Sharingan. As Obito sat there, he listened in and heard what was needed. The Uchiha in question, Ryoma, refused to go through with gaining the Mangekyo. _

_Many of the elders were livid with the man and his refusal to help bolster to strength of the Uchiha clan. They wanted the man to kill one of his friends who was just promoted to the rank of ANBU. Of course, they couldn't have him do it in or around Konoha. They wanted him to do it while out on a mission in enemy territory. That way he had a chance to make it look like it was an enemy Shinobi who killed him."_

Shikamaru could hear Hinata gasp and she recoiled slightly from the scroll. He didn't need to look up to notice that she probably had tears in her eyes and was looking towards Naruto by now. The news though on how the Uchiha were supposed to gain the "perfect Sharingan" was disturbing though. Not only that but it seemed like a despicable act that only those thirsting for power would ever consider.

'_Why though. Why would someone do something like this? Why would you do such a thing to someone you have trusted with your life on several occasions? The Uchiha clan truly has some dark secrets, but why trust Naruto with this now,'_ thought Shikamaru as his brain started to race with possibilities.

As quickly as he started to think of them he found the one reason why this would be sent to Naruto. Choji and Sakura were on the same team as Sasuke, and Sasuke had been shown to be power hungry in a few of their skirmishes. A few times he even seemed angry with Naruto being some what stronger then him. Still though, the last time he had checked Sakura nor Choji could be what you would consider a friend of the Uchiha. They seemed more like a…

'_That is exactly what they might be for him. A means to an end. An end that promises him greater power to complete what ever goals he has. Choji would put his life on the line for Sasuke, and Sakura seems to care for him enough to at least risk the same if she had to,'_ decided Shikamaru as he picked the scroll back up to continue reading. If this Obito person was still around then they needed to talk to him.

"_Ryoma apparently still refused to go through with such a ritual, and told them he would never turn his back on Konoha. It was with those words that the man left the temple and moved out of the Uchiha sector the same night. _

_From what Obito overheard it seems that the Uchiha has to willingly slay the person or they would never experience the true anguish that gives the Mangekyo its power. If a person was forced to do so, they would not fell as anguished as they would if done willingly. This is also why they must do it with out the chosen person knowing of their intentions. If one were to willingly give themselves up, it would once again not cause the needed anguish._

_According to Obito, they were still talking about it as he left, but he felt as if he was being watched and fled into the night. He had gone home and yet he still didn't feel safe. He told me that it felt as if a great sword was swinging over his head, ticking away the time he had left in the world. It was because of this that he fled into the brewing typhoon to talk with me and let me know what he had overheard."_

Hinata slowly leaned away from the scroll as several thoughts fought to overwhelm her. Was it possible for her family to house such terrible secrets? If they did to what lengths would they go to claim such power and keep them hidden? Had anyone ever found out and been silenced before? Knowing this information about the Hyuga's formal rival made her wonder just how her family could possibly combat such a technique and what abilities these frightening eyes held.

'_To gain power by the death of someone close to you… That power must be truly frightening in the wrong hands. Just how could such a thing be hidden away from the rest of Konoha? How come no one ever questioned these things before,'_ thought the girl as she started to wring her hands together. It was becoming more and more apparent to her that some Kekkei Genkai abilities were truly horrendous.

At the same time though it took someone of amazing strength and character to decide to turn against their clan traditions to let outsiders know of these secrets. Even though committing such an act could mean death, this one Uchiha struck out against his clan even if it just seemed to be for self-preservation at first glance.

'_Would I be able to do such a thing with the Hyuga clan? Could I possibly strike out against our traditions, bring about the reform of the Hyuga clan, and abolish the dual house system? Would the elders even allow such a thing to occur without a fight? How far would they go to stick to tradition,'_ pondered the young Hyuga once again as she realized the position that she could end up in.

She looked up from the floor to see Shikamaru also thinking over the information. He seemed just as disturbed as she was at the information the scroll seemed to contain. Could he possibly know the implications of this news though? He was from a clan but it was nowhere near as large as her own was or the Uchiha clan had been.

Hinata shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. Anyone can see the danger and the implications that the scroll contained. Even someone from a clan that was his size could discern that any family was capable of keeping such dark secrets, even his own. No one was immune to the enticing lure of power. The only thing that made a difference seemed to be what one was willing to do to gain that power.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the Nara boy lean back down to continue reading the scroll. She took it as a sign to join him and copied his actions to see what else might be revealed about the once great clan.

"_Because of these feelings he refused to leave my home unless I was with him, or someone that he trusted accompanied him. I thought he was just being paranoid at first but then I heard a report of Uchiha Ryoma dieing while on a scouting mission into Iwa territory. The cause of death was from Iwa issued weaponry but he was also in a group being lead by one Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan._

_It seemed as if they might be willing to kill anyone who refused to follow through with the clan's wishes. It was shortly after that that Kanami started to feel like she was being watched as she walked through Konoha shopping with Obito. There were several times they were harassed by down and out Shinobi no longer fit for combat due to various injuries. Each time they attempted to report it to the Police Force though they were blown off, or as Rin later told me, the report was shredded after they had left the building._

_I then started to take the threat to Obito's life very serious, and knew they were just as likely to kill anyone else with him if they got in the way even if it was your mother. I started to think of ways to get Obito out of danger and how to protect him from a clan that could very well kill him when he wasn't looking. I eventually came up with the idea of faking his death while out on a mission. The only ones who knew of this were Tsunade-hime and I. I planned to use Tsunade-hime's medical skills to help fake Obito's death but that soon changed to saving his life when the shit hit the fan. I didn't tell Obito because I wanted the entire thing to be a surprise, even to him. That may have been one of my greatest mistakes as a Hokage."_

Shikamaru couldn't help himself as that last part echoed through his mind. It sounded so much like something Naruto or Anko would say, and he felt he knew where they got that quirk. The rest was troubling though since it seemed the Uchiha were willing to do everything to keep this secret.

Its was disgusting in a way. A clan would kill their own members to keep these things a secret, regardless of how counter-productive that may be. It didn't make sense that people hailed as a clan of Geniuses would do something so… Something as stupid as killing its own members.

'_Then again this is also a clan of people who can only gain their ultimate power by killing a close friend or loved one. They have the gall to look down on others when their ways are just as barbaric, it not more so then the other people of Konoha,'_ mused Shikamaru as he started to chew on his bottom lip.

This also showed that the future Yondaime would have very few options within Konoha. The only ones he might have been able to trust would have been the Sandaime and Jiraiya of the Sannin. The Sandaime would have been the best bet, but he couldn't help protect Obito without depending on forces with the Uchiha in it. It would be hard to keep the information from falling through the cracks and reaching the Uchiha hiding within them.

Jiraiya might have been a better choice, but he was often busy with the war at the time. Getting information to him through enemy lines would have proven to be extremely difficult. Even then, what could the Toad hermit have done to help fix the situation?

Tsunade did look like the best option in this situation because of her background. She would be able to fake the death of anyone with her skills. If there were any complications, she would be the best person to fix any injuries that may have occurred during the mission. Since she had cut most of her ties with Konoha before the war with Iwa, no one would be keeping a close eye on her or suspect her of such actions.

'_Why would Yondaime consider this a mistake though,'_ pondered Shikamaru as he turned back to the scroll.

"_Shortly after I had planned these events we were given a chance to enact the plan. Kakashi had just been promoted to Jonin, and in honor of that, I was going to let them take on a mission without me. Kakashi would be the leader and I would go join the fight at the front. I planned to finish my job in time to help Tsunade-hime carry out the plan or at least watch everything to make sure the other two were not hurt seriously. Their mission was a simple one but sometimes even the easiest things have a way of blowing up in your face._

_They were attacked before Tsunade could make a move and Rin was kidnapped by Iwa Shinobi. Kakashi wanted to carry on with the mission and worry about Rin later, if ever. Obito though made me proud when he put his foot down and went to rescue Rin. During this time, Kakashi lost an eye and Obito managed to activate his Sharingan in the process of the impromptu rescue mission._

_Shortly after that, they managed to make it to where Rin was being held and questioned. They fought the capturers and during the exchange, they freed Rin. One of the Iwa Shinobi then performed a jutsu that caused the cave to collapse. According to what I later heard, Obito was just barely able to throw Kakashi out of the way of a boulder. Unfortunately though he was hit by the boulder and those there believed he was about to die, even Obito himself. It was because of this that he told Rin to take his left eye out and replace Kakashi's ruined eye with it."_

Neither of the two reading could believe what had happened. That didn't sound like a planned event and they could understand now why the Yondaime felt like he had failed. He nearly lost his students because of something that could have been avoided. Had Obito at least known what was going on, or one of the others this might have been avoided.

'_It's more then just that though. Because Obito and Kakashi argued over the entire situation, it may have very well attributed to the situation. They wasted valuable time that could have been used to track down the ones who captured Rin. Instead one person wanted to turn his back on his teammate and the other wanted to save her,' _thought Shikamaru.

'_Its no wonder Yondaime-sama feels like he is to blame. Kakashi-sensei was very different back then and Yondaime-sama felt like he could have done more to change him,'_ thought Hinata sadly as she thought about just how the Yondaime must have felt.

"Naruto," mumbled Shikamaru as he raised his head to look at the former blond-haired boy. Instead of the deep blue eyes, though he was greeted to the top of his head as he kept his eyes firmly locked onto the ground in front of him. Sighing deeply Shikamaru turned back to the scroll, with Hinata seconds behind him.

"_Not long after that the place started to cave in; Rin and Kakashi had to leave Obito underneath all of the rocks or face death themselves. It would be one of the hardest choices either of the two has ever made in their short Shinobi career. From what I heard, Kakashi went on to attack the remaining Iwa Shinobi, and tried to fend off their reinforcements that arrived. He managed to hold out but his new jutsu the Chidori took a great deal out of him. The last thing he or Rin remembers is the Iwa Shinobi coming in to kill them and then blacking out._

_What they didn't know is that was when Tsunade finally revealed herself. She had watched the events unfold and made her first move when Kakashi and Rin left the collapsing cave. She had summoned one of her special slugs that were capable of taking a person into their body and releasing a special chemical. The chemical causes the person to go into a type of hibernation, and if the person is wounded it clots those wounds. Nearly every bodily function is stopped as the chemical is absorb in the body and some how manages to keep them alive. I honestly don't know the details, even though she explained them to me. It was far too much medical mumbo jumbo for me to remember."_

Despite the severity of the scroll, Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the last few sentences. It was something Naruto would have said in the same exact situation. It was something he has said before while they were training. Slowly though it was happening less and less, except for in situations where you couldn't blame him. Once such situation would have been describing a complex medical procedure of something of equal complexity to him. She could feel the small vibrations of Shikamaru laughing slightly as well from beside her.

Still though, Tsunade taking so long to step in was nerve racking. Had she stepped in sooner she might have been able to avoid the entire situation. Doing so might have revealed their intentions but that had to be better then possibly losing the life of a student. At the same time though…

'_How hard was it for Tsunade-sama to sit there and do nothing? It couldn't have been easy for her to watch the lives of three students nearly die when you could have done something to stop it,'_ decided Hinata as she looked back down at the scroll.

"_Once she was sure Obito was secured, she waited for the right moment. When that moment presented itself, she had another set of slugs knock out Rin and Kakashi while she called for me and handled the attacking Iwa Shinobi. Once I was on the scene she left things to me and went to work on Obito._

_Thanks to Rin and Kakashi's reports, we managed to convince the Uchiha council that the body of Obito was severely damaged by the rockslide, and the only thing that could be recovered was the single eye in Kakashi. That of course caused them to explode and call for the eye to be removed and destroyed. Thankfully though Sarutobi put up a better argument and the council decided upon Kakashi keeping the eye, mainly because it was the request of a dieing man."_

Shikamaru clicked his tongue in annoyance. Kekkei Genkai clans were always an annoyance with their clan's special traits. Some adopted a high and mighty attitude, most of the ones he had seen, and view themselves as superior to everyone. One other thing they all had in common was the fact that they would do anything to keep their Kekkei Genkai within the clan. It seemed to be the main reason for the curse seal of the Hyuga clan after all.

That wasn't what really annoyed him though. What annoyed him the most was how they were able to accept the dieing wish of this Uchiha and allow Kakashi to keep the Sharingan eye. They would do that but they couldn't accept the Yondaime's final wishes when he asked them to respect Naruto as the savior and hero of their village.

'_It makes me disgusted to be a part of Konohagakure no Sato. They can't trust in the work of their revered Yondaime Hokage enough to treat their salvation as the hero he deserves! Instead they treat him like trash and respect the vile Uchiha Clan so much it is sickening,'_ growled Shikamaru internally as he reflected on the events of the Academy and things he knew his own father had done.

He made a silent vow then as he tried to keep from shaking in rage. He would do what ever it took to make people see Naruto as Uzumaki Naruto, Future Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. If they refused to see that, then they shouldn't be worth protecting. To him the village was proving to be too close-minded for his liking.

'_Now isn't the time to be too emotional Shikamaru. There has to be a reason things happened the way they did. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment,'_ chided the Nara as he restrained his racing thoughts about his village.

Taking several deep breathes he calmed himself and tried to relax as much as possible before he turned back to the scroll that sat in front of him. For Naruto and the others he would try to keep a clear head. It was likely he would be the only one able to think clearly as these events unfolded and he needed to be ready for when he was needed.

"_As for Tsunade, I wouldn't hear back from here till weeks later and after Obito's funeral and name had been added to the monument. The task was monumental according to her; it taxed every ounce of her ability and then some. Since she was working by herself and only had her apprentice Shizune to help, she couldn't resort to medical seals and had to depend upon medical Ninjutsu and classical surgery. The operation was touch and go for the first week but she had managed to handle the life threatening injuries to his organs. After taking care of those injuries, she took care of the damage to the rest of his body. I doubt she will ever let me live the fact down that she lived off soldier pills and food pills that entire week._

_If it had been anyone but Tsunade, Obito may have very well died during these events. Thanks to her skills and tons of luck, probably from Obito because Tsunade luck sucks, he pulled throw with flying colors. After hearing this, I relayed to Tsunade that I wanted her to take Obito with her in his travels and keep him safe. She put up a fight at first but she really couldn't refuse Kanami when I called her in to help."_

Hinata smiled inside as she read the good news and the jokes about Tsunade. She knew the Female Sennin's skills were legendary and for the operation to be difficult for her was something astounding. Yet in the end, the Slug Princess had pulled through with flying colors and saved the life of the Uchiha.

Hearing just a little more about the woman who gave birth to Naruto also caused her to smile faintly. Since her own mother had passed away early on, she had few memories of her. The ones she did have she cherished and often sought for books and other written documents about her. She knew how much Naruto craved information on his parents but the main one he sought information for was his mother.

Everyone knew the Yondaime in some way, shape, or form. Very few could tell him much about his mother though and that was what he wanted the most. She remembered leaving Naruto and Anko in the training grounds talking after a practice session and then coming back to see them still in the exact same spot hours later. There were a few times when they had stayed out talking all night long and each time Naruto always seemed to have a sad smile on his face. Those were the few times she had ever seen him let down his guard and cry openly with a genuine smile on his face.

The Sandaime had a few stories but nothing like what Rin and Anko had to offer him. To hear that another person seemed to value his mother so much she would do anything for…

'_I could only imagine how Naruto-kun will react when he has the chance to speak with Tsunade-sama,'_ pondered the Hyuga as she smiled sadly before turning back to the scroll.

"_That brings me onto the current things at hand. My friend would only be giving this scroll to you if he felt you needed to know this information. If you are reading this then it means there is a chance that an Uchiha close to you may be pushed to gain this cursed power. My friend is supposed to take you in and prepare you for battle against the Sharingan. One of the few ways to defend against the Sharingan is to gain experience fighting against the Sharingan. With that in mind, my friend is also supposed to bring in Obito and Tsunade._

_Even then, though it will be hard to combat something that allows the user to predict movements, it is possible. More so when they can read and copy any Ninjutsu you might use. There are few jutsus that can not be read by the Sharingan and out of those few I happen to have created a couple of them. There is only one person who might be able to teach you how to use these techniques. My sensei, Jiraiya will also be called in to aide in your education, if you have not already come across him."_

Both Shikamaru and Hinata fell backwards away from the scroll upon reading the latest passages. To be trained by two thirds of the legendary group taught by the Sandaime Hokage was a great Honor. Just about any up and coming Shinobi would kill for a chance to pick the brains of Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Training with Tsunade was somewhat of a dream for Hinata; something she had dreamed of since her mother had told her stories about Tsunade's exploits. Granted she was now looking into studying poisons, but who was to say she couldn't learn a thing or two from Tsunade? To be a great medic you also had to know about the tricks of your enemies after all. Therefore, she was sure Tsunade would be able to help her with some of her goals if half of what her mother said was ever true.

'_Naruto you really have a way of annoying people even before you were born. Tch. Ever since I joined a team with you and your crazy sister I haven't had much time to look at the clouds,'_ thought Shikamaru as he started to kick himself for even graduating from the Academy.

"_It may seem like a tad too much to do just to prepare you to fight an Uchiha but should the person gain the Mangekyo Sharingan they will be more difficult to handle. I only ask that you prevent this form happening because I feel there has been enough Konoha Shinobi killed for the sake of a twisted power. I can't say for sure how many have died for the Uchiha to gain this power, but I think enough is enough. I can only hope you and the others you trust along with my friends and teachers can prevent this from ever happening._

_Make me proud and trust the man who gave this scroll to you. He may be secretive but he has his reasons. He has a dark past that has haunted him for years. Because of his past, he only cares for his Clan, and serving the Land of Fire. He will do anything if he believes it is for the good of the Land of Fire and Konoha. He also wishes to rebuild his clan to their former glory, and I believe he partially blames himself for what has happened to them."_

Shikamaru groaned aloud at this revelation. It reminded him too much of a certain Uchiha and made this experience take a turn for the worst. He wasn't sure if he could handle a grown up version of Sasukefor an entire month. It was bad enough growing up with the dark Uchiha, to him.

'_Just great, I get to spend time with a statue and have the statue train me along side two of the greatest Shinobi to come from Konoha. I'm beginning to wonder just why this Rikimaru character is respected by so many people if he has the same mind set as Sasuke,'_ thought Shikamaru somewhat grimly as he remembered how much Rin and Anko seemed to respect the man.

'_Even Sandaime-sama seemed to hold nothing but respect for the guy. Maybe he isn't that bad after all. If the person had let revenge and such drive him, as Sasuke had, then I doubt any of them would respect him as they do. It seems like he wants to serve the Land of Fire just as much as anything restore his clan's honor. He doesn't seem to be bent on killing someone like a certain other person,'_ decided Shikamaru as he laughed slightly

He might not be able to understand Sasuke's reasons, but he knew that kind of life could be destructive. Living any kind of life just for death and power seemed to be a walk down the dark side. Many considered it one of the easiest paths to walk in life, and the path of a protector one of the hardest ones to walk. He would agree that fighting temptation and the call of the dark side was far harder then giving into them.

"_I hope you can get him to come to terms with his past and get him to look to the future. He looks to the future already but his vision is limited to just military aspects of life. He no longer seeks to live his life for himself. He has pledge his life to his clan and the country. Make him see that there is something more to life._

_Be prepared because none of the tasks that are set before you will be easy. I know I am asking a lot from you; considering I am writing this while you are still in the womb and I just barely found out you were going to be my son and not my daughter. Do the best that you can and live each day of your life without regret. Grow up to become a fine man."_

Once Shikamaru had finished the scroll he sat back to think over everything he had read. It was honestly something he could have done without since he now felt obligated to do everything he could to keep his friends from harm. He couldn't stand aside as Naruto and more then likely Hinata fought and trained to prevent this.

Just by glancing at Hinata and watching her roll up the scroll and then shuffle over to Naruto told him what her choice was. She would stand by his side no matter what and place her faith in him to do what was right. It wasn't that she depended on him, just that she knew she could trust him to do whatever he felt was right in most situations. Naruto's instincts had yet to fail them and he was sure that those instincts were honed because of his childhood. Naruto had learned to trust them and by watching him, Hinata learned to trust them.

The only time Shikamaru ever stopped Naruto from acting out on his instincts was when there was a safer and more efficient way to complete the task. This current task would be one to test the limits of both of their abilities as well as the peace Hinata kept just by being present in the group. The main one that would be tested though was Naruto and his ability to withstand the call of the Kyubi.

"Man this just blows," mumbled Shikamaru as he fell back onto his sleeping roll.

"You don't have to tell me Ginta. I've been thinking about it since I first got the message to go home from my folks," said Naruto more then a little perturbed at the Nara for stating the obvious.

"It isn't all that bad thought Minato-kun. You will get to see your family once again," cut in Hinata as she heard the anger in the words said. Her words seemed to work which caused the Nara to relax slightly and caused Naruto's shoulders to sag slightly.

"I know but I wonder how they will feel about me… What if they blame me for everything," questioned Naruto as he leaned into Hinata who had settled in beside him and wrapped her arms around him slightly.

To Shikamaru it was comical because Hinata's red face made itself know once again. This time though it was from the fact that Naruto's head was resting on her chest as she held onto him. Unlike the times in the academy though, and shortly after the team was formed, she didn't look like she was about to pass out. She seemed to have gotten use to some form of contact with him but not when he was barely clothed. It seemed odd to him but it was better then having her acting like their teacher or Sasuke's fan club.

The group settled into a comfortable silence as Hinata rocked Naruto gently back and forth and Shikamaru stared at the top of the tent. If he looked hard enough he thought he could see the clouds through the tent and trees. It felt good to dream at times. Their silence didn't last long enough for their tastes.

The silence was broken by the sound of a snapping twig none to far from where they now sat. Shortly after the twig snapped they could faintly hear voices; one sounded like it was scolding the other for making a sound and the other was apologizing. It didn't last long but it was enough to put them on alert and reach for their concealed weapons if they were that loud it wasn't likely they were gong to be enemy Shinobi, right?

* * *

_**Fire Capital**_

Night had set in on the capital of the Land of Fire and the nightlife was just starting to stir. Bars, brothels, and love hotels were opening in preparation for the nightwalkers. The side of town that dealt with the shadier sides of human interaction also provided a wealth of information and income for the ancient city. It was also a part of town where you would more then likely find the two visiting Sennin and a great annoyance to the female Sennin.

The night had started with the Jiraiya, Shizune, and Tsunade heading out into the town to enjoy a night out before having to get serious within the next few days. Of course, for Jiraiya and Tsunade that meant a night drinking and partying. For Shizune that meant making sure Tsunade didn't do anything she would regret in the morning, namely spending the night with Jiraiya and anyone else with money.

There was however a wildcard that none of them had thought of when they went out. He was often called upon by the Daimyo as a private physician, and on some occasions, did work on the side as an assassin. He was just in his forties and tended to enjoy Sake and womanizing just as much as the two Sennin. He also enjoyed a healthy hobby of practical joking with several serums and drugs that he kept with him at all times.

His name was Tesshu, and he was the last one you would expect to do any of the previous deeds. He looked more like a monk then a doctor or assassin and that is probably what made him successful. He was muscular and his skin was nearly as tanned as Naruto's own. His clothes looked as if they had been patched up and was now nothing but rags. His nearly baldhead only helped to add to his monk persona. His footwear was similar to Jiraiya's own sandals, and the only other distinguishing articles of clothing were the bracelets around his wrists and the jug of sake on his hip. Therefore, it was much to their annoyance that he happened upon them in one of the seedier bars.

"What do you know my old friends are back in town," yelled the man as he staggered towards them with a smile on his face. "Your chest looks bigger then normal Tsunade-hime," greeted the man once he had settled in across from Shizune.

After his greeting as vein popped up on Tsunade's forehead as her eyes started to twitch. Not even Jiraiya would dare say such a thing in greeting and that was even after he had a few drinks. This man though did it every time just to annoy the medic every time their paths crossed. It was just one of the many things that made the "tolerant" Tsunade hate the man.

"I guess you are still writing your books as well Jiraiya? I'm still waiting for the next issue," added the man as he grabbed the bottle of sake that Jiraiya was about to take. In the blink of an eye he had already downed the drink and slammed the empty bottle back down on the table.

It was Jiraiya's turn to start twitching as the man started to snatch food from his plate and continue to take whatever drink was set down in front of him. One wouldn't expect it but the Toad Hermit detested when others would reach and grab food from someone else's plate. It was third on his list of pet-peeves; with the first being women in multiple layers of clothing and the second being the food on his plate touching each other.

"My Dan's little niece has grown up to be such a wonderful woman," added the man as he turned his attention to Shizune.

The dark-haired woman's eyes grew to the size of saucers as the man grinned lecherously at her and wiggled his eyebrows. She had her stories about the man's behavior but none of them prepared her for this. For some reason it seemed to be worst then anything done by Jiraiya, but if she tried hard enough she could blame that on having been exposed to him for so long.

"Tsunade-sama," whispered the woman as she tried to trade places with her mentor. The man's smile just kept growing as the woman grew nervous. By now half of the patrons in the bar were looking over towards them and mumbling to those beside them.

"Enough of that Tesshu. Don't tell me you came here just to annoy my apprentice and Jiraiya," snapped Tsunade finally through clenched teeth.

The man known as Tesshu just laughed at the buxom blonde as he shouted out an order for another round. He continued joking around until the beverages arrived and then grew silent and serious as he leveled his eyes on Tsunade and Jiraiya. No longer was he a joker but a serious professional.

"Sorry about that Hime, but I do have an image to keep up around here. I've heard that some special charges from Konoha are on their way here for some special training," finally said the man in a more business like tone.

It wasn't surprising that he would know about the three from Konoha. After all, he was known to work along side of the Daimyo's most trusted advisors. What was a surprise though was the fact that he didn't bother waiting to meet them, and sought out the two Sennin in order to feel out the situation.

"That is true but why are you concerned about it," questioned Jiraiya in an equally serious tone of voice.

"I've heard that a deer herder was on his way here and I wanted to work with him some to benefit the group of pigs," answered the man honestly, though a little cryptic.

"Those idiots still use they blasted supplements I take it. Those things will be the death of them one of these days," said Tsunade as she let out a snort of disgust.

The Akimichi special pills allowed them to gain incredible strength for a short amount of time. This was done by burning up all the fats stores within their body. That was where a grave problem popped up its head though. Because of the pills the body would burn up all the fat in the body and then move onto the muscles and other parts of the body. If the person was not given a special antidote created by the Nara's they would literally collapse upon themselves. It was something Tsunade had always detested and had forbid any Akimichi from taking when she was within Konoha. It seemed though that after she left that restriction had been lifted and now the danger was still present.

"Sadly yes and the Lord wanted me to see if I could come up with an effective counter measure. If possible, he would like for you and me to find a way to completely neutralize the effects of the pills. You and I both know though that that will be easier said then done," answered the man gravely.

"Nothing else brought you here," questioned Jiraiya further as he leaned back and looked at those gathered around the table.

"Well there was the chance to catch a glimpse of two lovely ladies and talk about an up and coming prankster," responded Tesshu as he laughed at the blush on Shizune's face.

Even Jiraiya and Tsunade had to laugh at the young woman who obviously wasn't used to such compliments. It was only when they started to laugh that the apprentice started to sputter and clutch onto the pig Ton-ton for dear life.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

'_How could I have behaved like this,'_ thought a man with silver hair as the clouds cried down upon him.

The man known as Hatake Kakashi was down in front of the Memorial Monument. He had been there ever since his former teammate had departed after revealing the shocking truth to him. As the truth went through his mind he reflected upon all of the signs and wondered just how blind he had been. The truth had been right there in front of everyone and yet none of them seemed to notice the striking resemblance that the container had to the late Yondaime Hokage.

Those that did notice it seemed to have written it off as the demon mocking them by taking on the form of their leader. It had all seemed logical to them after all. Demon foxes were known for being tricksters so why wouldn't something like the Kyubi do such a thing. Everyone was quick to make that assumption but few had bothered to take the time to trust in the Yondaime's abilities.

The last part was what hurt the most. Instead of trusting his surrogate father, Sensei, and Hero, he let his darker emotions override all logic. Had he taken the time to reflect on just how skilled his sensei was with seals it would have become easier to understand what had been done.

"WHY! WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN LIKE THIS," screamed the man as he pounded down on the ground and cursed the heavens for mocking him.

The man was so caught up in his own emotions that he never noticed the form of the Sandaime watching from the shadows of the trees. The man slowly revealed walked from the shadows of the trees towards the sobbing man. Once he was close enough, he placed a hand on his shoulder and caused him to jerk away slightly before turning around.

"Kakashi-kun," greeted the grandfatherly man as he knelt down to be on eyelevel with the elite Jonin.

"Sandaime-sama why didn't you tell me back then! I had just as much right to know as everyone else," yelled the one-eyed man as he clutched onto the robes of the elderly man. It was an action he never would have done in any other setting but now his emotions had gotten the best of him.

Instead of reprimanding the man though the Hokage just stood there and continued to let the Jonin release his pent up emotions. The revelation was sure to have shattered some of the barriers set up by the man of the years, and nothing could stop the over flow of emotions. After several minutes though the man collapsed onto his hands and knees still sobbing, but seemed to be far more manageable.

"I didn't tell you Kakashi-kun because you were still blinded by your emotions. It hurt me to keep it a secret from those close to Arashi but it needed to be done. I wanted people to first accept the boy for who he was and not whose offspring he was. I wanted to see who was willing to obey Arashi's final words more then anything else," said the Hokage finally as he placed his hands on the shoulders of the fallen man.

"More then anything I had hoped that you would grow to trust in Naruto and the abilities to Arashi. It saddened me though when you continued to hate the boy and allowed that hate to blind you to your duties. I had not planned on you finding out like this but it seems that Rin felt you truly needed to learn the truth so that you could move on in life. Now heed my words Kakashi, forget the past, and move onto the future. Sitting out here in the rain mourning your mistakes will never solve anything but it will cause you to fall further into a pit of despair," stated the Sandaime in a sage like tone.

Kakashi moved to look up at the man but was surprised to see that the leader of the village had already vanished in a swirl of leaves. Seeing this he dropped his head down and thought over the words of his leader. Ever since Obito had been lost he had lived in the past. He started to pick up the habits of his old friend and had tried to protect Rin from all the evils of the world.

When his Sensei had given his life to seal away the Kyubi he had joined the ANBU and started to accept the deadliest missions possible. They were the types of missions that very few could return from but they were also the missions that the man known as Kazama Arashi took without hesitating. It was all done to protect his home and loved ones within the village.

He had felt that by doing these things he could honor their memory and keep a part of them with him. Looking back though he started to realize he was afraid to move on. He was afraid to let go and live his life to the fullest. Most of all he was afraid to be alone and without their memories to keep him company he wasn't sure what he would do.

Now though he knew they wouldn't want him to cling onto those memories and let them rule his life. They would have wanted him to live his own life and not mimic their own. No matter what he did, he would never be Uchiha Obito or Kazama Arashi. He would always be Hatake Kakashi and it was time for him to honor his own family for once.

'_I am Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang of Konoha. I am the student of Kazama Arashi and friend of Uchiha Obito. From this point on I will live my own life,'_ thought the man as he stood up and straightened.

"That still doesn't mean I can't enjoy some of the things I have picked up in the last few years," said the man aloud as he pulled out a special waterproof issue of _Icha Icha Paradise_ and started on his way home.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Late I know, and again I'm sorry for that. Sometimes life just isn't kind and I'm not allowed the time to write. Other times I know what I want to do, I just can't find the words to use to write the story. I will try my best to speed things up but I can not make any promises. You will just have to bear with me and trust that I will get things done when I can.


	10. Training

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of _Naruto_, s-_CRY-ed_, or _Tenchu_. I only use them for writing this story.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

**A/N:** This chapter will deal exclusively with the training Team 10 goes through during the Chunin Exams. _**

* * *

**_

Training 

"You idiot. I wanted us to approach them as quietly as possible to test their detection skills, but _no_ you had to step on a freaking stick the size of your leg," complained one of the two women walking through a forest that started to steadily rise.

The two "adults" had been bickering ever since the night before, and it was now starting to make the young Genin wonder just who the mature ones were supposed to be. The three members of Team 10 had been quietly talking amongst themselves while they tried to evaluate the two guides who had surprised them the night before.

"I think I would have preferred staying home if this is what we have to expect," whispered Naruto as he eyed Ayame and the cloaked man who had yet to introduce himself.

"Naruto-kun don't be so rude," chided Hinata lightly as she watched the cloaked man shy away from a now angry Ayame.

That was how the rest of their trip passed until nightfall came and came to a stop at the foot of a mountain. There was one winding pathway that led up the sheer cliff face that vanished into the distance. Even though they were at the foot of the mountain, they could see large thick gates placed along the pathway that was visible to them.

"We set up camp here for the night. The gates are going to be closing shortly and they will not let anyone in once the gates are closed, even us. If we double time it tomorrow we should be able to make it to the castle by tomorrow afternoon," stated Ayame as the young Ninja looked at her.

It wasn't long before they had a camp going not too far from the worn path through the woods. Not far from them they could see other travelers who seemed to have had a similar idea. Some looked like they were with pack animals, horses, mules, oxen, and other beasts of burden. A few looked like diplomats on their way to see who ever was at the top of the mountain. All looked to be ready to turn in for the night to start their climb early in the morning.

"There isn't much to tell you except you can plan on having little time to rest. Each of you will be worked to the bone, but none more so then Minato over there," whispered Ayame as they all gathered around the small fire they had started.

"I think we all expected that," muttered Shikamaru who was promptly slapped in the back of his head by Ayame.

"Rule number one, no smart mouthing. Remember that and you might just make it," countered Ayame before turning back to the others.

"You can't tell us anything else right?" questioned Naruto in a soft voice while looking into the fire.

"Nope, and don't bother trying to push for any more information. You will find out everything once we get there," said the woman before moving away from the fire and into the tent she had set up.

The cloaked man continued to sit there looking into the flames and hiding beneath the shadow cast by his hood. They couldn't make out anything except for the black hair that would peak out from time to time. Aside from arguing with Ayame, he had hardly said a word to the Genin team.

"So, what's your name," questioned Naruto in an attempt to get to know their nameless guide. The man just looked up slightly but not enough to reveal his face to them. The action was brief and would have been missed if they hadn't been focusing on him.

"Sorry kiddo, but that is going to have to wait until we make it to the top. You should know though that looking directly into a fire is bad for your night vision," answered the man before he stood up and moved towards where Ayame vanished.

"These guys are no fun," grouched Naruto as he quickly looked down towards the ground and away from the fire.

"No one said these guys had to be pleasant," stated Shikamaru as he sat back and looked up at the night sky.

Hinata only shook her head at the way the two acted. It was all so very different from when they had been in the Academy together.

_**

* * *

**_

Ayame walked till she came to a small creek and sat at one of the rocks that walled it in.

'_Why do we have to take these kids in and train them? Aside from the Hyuga the others really don't seem that spectacular,'_ thought Ayame as she absently kicked her feet while looking at the stars.

She had tried to fight against Rikimaru's orders to meet up with this group and bring them to the castle for training. It didn't make sense for them to bring in Shinobi from Konoha to train in the Azuma clan compound and ways. They had their own methods that didn't match the teachings of the Azuma. As far as she was concerned they probably couldn't cut it since they were fresh rookies.

Still though, the last two to train there ended up alright. Rin had proven very capable and her animal partners had proven very valuable on several missions. She had managed to adapt to not using chakra to battle and move about. It was often hard to get experienced Shinobi from a Hidden Village to do that. It was nearly like taking them back to the Academy.

Anko was the best of all and seemed to take to it like water. The three of them had loads of fun mocking Rikimaru when he was training them, and it felt different once Anko left to return to Konoha after training there for six years. She had left to return to Konoha and work as a Special Jonin after spending six years under the roof of the Azuma clan. They would talk every now and then, but that had mainly been done when they had missions in the same area. The only one who talked regularly with her was Rin, and that was done by letter.

"You know they really aren't all that bad," stated Obito as he sat down beside her.

Ayame had to keep from attacking the man and yelling at him for startling her like that. She had to hand it to the guy; he was pretty good at stealth when he wanted to be. Other times it seemed like he screwed up on purpose, like the night before.

"You know you shouldn't sneak up on someone like that," growled Ayame as she glared at the man beneath the hood. "Take that stupid hood off to," added the woman as she reached for the offending object.

Obito ducked and leaned away from the grasping hands before he pulled a hand from his cloak to shake at her. Even if she couldn't see it she knew he was smiling within the shadows hiding his face.

"You shouldn't let yourself be as distracted as you seem to be right now," chided Obito as he laughed at the glare she sent his way.

"And no, I will not take my hood off until we meet up with Tsunade-sama and the others. I was ordered to keep it up as long as possible," added the Uchiha as the girl started to pout once again.

The two sat in silence after that. One looking up at the stars and the other down into the creek.

One was thinking about the reasons for brining in the students of a former trainee, and just why they had garnered such special treatment. Never before had the Daimyo or Rikimaru been so eager to welcome guests into their home, with the only possible exception being the Hokage and the two loyal Sannin. No matter how much she thought about it she could never figure out why they were doing the things they were doing presently. Even if she asked why, she would never get an answer.

The other person there by the creek had something else on his mind. Since he had heard about meeting other Konoha Shinobi his mind had been on his former friends and family. Doubtless they all thought he was dead, which is what they had wanted at the time. After that though he had been on the road with Tsunade and Shizune up until now. Because they had always been moving he never had the chance to think about Rin, Kakashi, Anko, and Kanami. Now though he found himself thinking about them at every turn.

'_I suppose I can blame that on barely missing a chance to see Rin-chan after all these years. Not to mention that I'm going to help train Arashi-sensei's son to help fight my own clan,'_ reflected Obito as he slowly climbed to his feet and started to walk back towards the camp.

"The kids are probably all asleep by now and you should be doing the same. I'll go ahead and take first watch since I have a few things I need to think about," said Obito as he departed.

Having known Rin for so long and seeing the girl mourn twice a year let the Kunoichi know just what might have been bothering her new friend. Rin often talked about how she wished she could have changed things with Uchiha Obito; after several rounds of sake of course. She always seemed to regret the way she treated him.

On top of that she mourned the death of her father and mother, and the child that was being carried. The girl had a lot of emotional baggage that needed to be sorted out, and a lot of it came back to the surface when she had gotten a letter from Anko about their family.

"Gah, this is why they tell us not to get attached to people," muttered Ayame as she rolled to her feet and walked to her private tent for the night.

_**

* * *

**_

Morning the next day had the group breaking camp and had made it past the first gate leading up the mountain.

Normally passing through a gate was nothing. That though didn't include places where the gate had enough guards for a small army, and a gate that any regular army would have a hard tome over taking. With Shinobi it might have been easy, but that thought proved useless when they walked beneath the gate and felt a pull on their chakra. As they started to walk the path to the castle atop of the castle Ayame whispered to them the secrets of the gate.

"They gates are made from a special stone mined here in the Land of Fire. It is a chakra absorbing stone that will disrupt any jutsu that comes near it. If you had been in under a Henge just then it would have been dispelled. It makes hurling jutsu at the gate nearly impossible as well," whispered Ayame.

"What's to stop Shinobi from climbing the cliff face," questioned Naruto from her right while looking over the side. It was a fairly obvious solution that even a Genin would come up with, given basic training. With Chakra a Shinobi could do just about anything, including climbing up cliff sides.

"During times of war there would be special troops assigned to watch the cliffs. Should Shinobi try to climb them, they will be met with molten iron, hot oil, or boulders. Even then though the cliffs are rigged with booby traps and some of the chakra absorbing stones," answered Obito from beside Ayame.

His answered caused Ayame to look at him in surprise, since not many people were privy to that information. Of course an invading army and any who survived would know such things, but it was normally kept secret since it was where the Daimyo lived. Similar things were done with the Hokage's defenses and the defenses for Hidden Villages for the very same reason.

"Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama did teach me a great deal," answered Obito when he noticed Ayame looking at him in question.

Ayame nodded before she added a little more on the defenses, since they were going to be expected to help in defense while there. With Rikimaru and the Daimyo calling for them to come to the castle it meant they could be trusted with most of this information. This was how they passed the time as they walked higher and higher into the mountains.

"One of the last lines of defense before an enemy army makes it onto the bluff atop of the mountain is a drawbridge that can be raised, or destroyed. Once that it done it would be nearly impossible for any regular army to make it across the chasm that separates the bluff from the walkway," finished Ayame with a knowing smile as they walked past a final gateway and each of the Genin froze in surprise at what was before them.

Before them was a chasm that looked as if a god reached down and tore a hole in the earth. Looking down you couldn't see a bottom but if you listened carefully you might have been able to hear raging rapids some where down below. The chasm walls were as smooth as glass and would make any attempt to scale them extremely difficult, even for Shinobi.

The hole in the ground was wide enough to make jumping across it extremely difficult for most Shinobi, and probably impossible for the average Shinobi. The large stone drawbridge that sat across the chasm was just as impressive as the rest of the structures that lines the walls of the bluff.

White stones made up the drawbridge and easily stretched nearly fifty feet to bridge the gap. Enormous chains were attached along the edges of the bridge to heave the massive structure back up to the walls. It was hard to believe that such a thing could even be crafted or lifted in case of an invasion. It certainly dwarfed anything that was used in the defense of Konoha, as far as the Genin knew.

The walls on the bluff were high enough that arrows would have a hard time hitting the defenders, and larger siege weapons would possibly make it over. That was of course if they could make it across the chasm and over the walls. The closer they got to the walls surrounding the Capital of Fire Country the more difficult things seemed to lay siege to the city.

"It really is impressive," whispered Hinata as she looked up through the gateway.

Like the rest they felt a pull on their chakra, and could feel several sets of eyes watching as the crossed the threshold and enter the capital of the Land of Fire. Right away they could see several barracks that seemed to go all the way around the walls of the bluff. It was only after passing a smaller inner wall that seemed to circle the bluff that they came to what could only be the residential section of the capital.

Large houses made of stone and wood could be seen stretching from one story to four stories tall. Children could be seen running around laughing as they played in the streets or walked with their families. This section as well as the last seemed to form into a circle around the center portion of the city.

Moving past the residential area and up hill and through another gate they came to the market district. The walked through a bazaar that had people selling goods from stalls that could be easily taken down and put up. Wispy fabrics covered the bazaar and offered shelter from the sun's heat as they dodged their way past stalls. Once they made it out of the bazaar they came upon a market that was bound to have anything you were looking for.

Despite the urge to look around they continued to follow Ayame and Obito up another rise and though another wall and gate, and across a slow moving moat. This time they came into a large park and gardens that helped to serve as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets. Benches and lampposts were spaced through the park and under the trees to help add a more romantic and peaceful atmosphere for lovers and families.

Walking through this they walked up another series of stairs and through another fortified wall and gate. By now they could see what could only be the home of the Daimyo above them, but they had yet to reach it. Now they walked onto a flat expanse of land with training posts and soldiers. Some of the younger soldiers watched them as they passed. The more experienced ones quickly barked at them and told them to return to their work.

"This is obviously the training ground for the military housed here in the capital. It also serves as a parade ground for special events and can be turned into festival grounds at the same time. There are guard barracks within the wall we passed, just as there are in all of the walls we have gone through," said Ayame as they passed a group of soldiers practicing archery drills.

"As you noticed the capital is sectioned off in rings, and each part can easily be defended and abandoned should they need to be. Aside from being separated into rings, they are separated into districts within the rings. So if one district falls, the defenders can still defend from other districts until they are overwhelmed," added Obito as he waved at several of the female soldiers who they had passed.

The two had been giving them a brief history of each of the rings as they made their way through the city. It was impressive and far larger then Konoha. Aside from the different rings, they had told them a history of the city. It was often rumored that the mountain was once a volcano that went inactive and soon became responsible for heating the waters and the homes on the mountain.

"The walls we passed upon first walking onto the bluff circle nearly the entire bluff. The only place where they don't is the back of the mountain where the Azuma clan compound resides within a forest. The only reason the walls don't reach there is because part of the mountain still sits there and rises up into the clouds," whispered Obito as if he was revealing some secret.

By now the group had come to another wall, but this time one was nearly three times taller then the previous ones. This wall proved to be as thick as a normal house and seemed to serve as barracks as well as a defense. The gate they walked through were tick wooden doors reinforced with iron and steel bolts and bandings. Over all the defenses looked to be able to withstand anything that might be thrown at it.

On the other side of the wall though in the middle of a lack was what could only be the palace of the Daimyo. The standards for the Land of Fire flew high on the walls, and soldiers wearing the nation's colors patrolled every inch of the grounds.

"We will check in with the Daimyo and hopefully meet with those who will be training you then. Do not speak unless you are spoken to, and do not make any quick movements if you value your lives," whispered Ayame harshly as she walked up to the guards at the gate leading across to the palace.

The two carried on a conversation for several minutes before Ayame returned and motioned for the Group to follow her.

* * *

"So the brats finally arrived; about time," muttered a man with white hair as he made his way down the halls of the Daimyo's palace. 

Jiraiya had spent his time in the palace working on his book and hoping to gather more research material while he was there. That didn't mean he tried to peek on the wife, or the Daimyo's daughters. It just meant he spent time within the city at the various hot springs trying to research while he could.

It did mean higher then normal reports of people peeking in the women's bath houses. It also meant a few trips to the hospital for the perverted sage when he made the mistake of spying on Tsunade. The only thing that seemed to stop the woman from killing him out right is the fact that he was needed, unfortunately. It helped though to have an accomplice who knew just as many great spots to spy from.

'_I wish I had more time for my research though,'_ thought the man as he was escorted towards the reception room of the palace.

He was rather interested in how the boy turned out and how well he performed the task he had been given years ago. He was only glad that he had heeded the words of Sarutobi and checked in on the young blond. Had he not there was no telling what could have ended up happening with the boy's life.

"To think someone so young would try to take his own life though," mumbled the man as he looked down in his notes.

The guide looked up at him in question to what he said and was waved off easily enough. He was sure though that it would be reported to the Daimyo at some point in time. Just as Jiraiya was spying on the Daimyo and the happenings within the capital, he was being spied on and the news given to the Daimyo and his advisors.

He could bare it though if the information he had learned from Rikimaru was true. Oto and Orochimaru were plotting to attack the Land of Fire sometime within the year. Most information gathered pointed towards the attack occurring during the Chunin exams. It couldn't happen during the first portions of the exam because Orochimaru could end up making enemies of the other nations that entered Genin. That left only the final portion of the exam that would occur a month after the second round finished.

As much as he wanted to be there for Konoha and his Sensei, he needed to be here to help train Naruto and fix his little problem. From what he had gathered something might be wrong with the seal that prevents the Kyubi's energy from leaking into Naruto's. There should be no reason for the demon to have control of its own chakra and how it is released into Naruto. Not to mention that the seal should have prevented the demon from entering the host's mind and dreams.

'_Perhaps though this is because of something else and not the fault of the seal. I suppose I will only know once I get to see how the two look,'_ decided Jiraiya finally as he entered the room where he would meet the Genin from Konoha.

At the same time he entered, Tsunade seemed to enter from the opposite side of the room and immediately looked over in his direction. One she had caught his eye she just nodded her head and turned towards where the group would be entering from.

Shizune could easily be seen next to Tsunade holding the small pink bundle known as Ton-ton. Both looked to be nervous but no one would blame them. It wasn't often you were allowed to stay or visit the Daimyo under such pleasant conditions. She too greeted Jiraiya with a smile, unlike Tsunade's scowl, and a small wave before turning her attention to the entrance.

What all three had expected was a typical Hyuga female, violet or black hair, with the same lavender eyes. They had also expected a boy with whisker like marks on his cheeks and golden-blond hair. The Nara boy was described as a typical member of the family, as far as looks went. They did manage to get the Nara boy but they were confused when they saw the other two.

A brown-haired boy with hazel colored eyes and a tanned complexion stood there looking around and gawking at the room. For all intents and purposes he looked like a peasant visiting the palace for the first time. They couldn't tell if the person was honestly amazed, or if they were just that good at acting.

The only girl of the group wasn't a dark-haired female with lavender eyes either. She had snow white hair and a pair of red eyes that stood out on her pale face and under her white hair. She seemed to be taking things better then her friend and seemed to hold her self with an air of confidence that was absent in the other two.

While the two Sannin were sizing up the people who didn't look like their trainees, Obito slipped in behind Shizune. No one did anything until he reached towards the confused apprentice and tickled her sides slightly. His action caused her to laugh, squeak, gasp, and drop Ton-ton all at the same time. It also caused the woman to turn around to slap the man, only to miss and nearly slap the confused blonde next to her.

All the attention was taken off of the group of three by that simple little action and the white-haired girl could be seen relaxing slightly. The boy who looked amazed has straightened up and was looking forward towards where the Daimyo would normally be sitting.

Before Shizune could yell out at Obito though Ayame stepped forward and cleared her throat to gain the attention of those gathered in the room.

"I've returned from my mission to escort these three here on behalf of the late Yondaime of Konohagakure no Sato," declared Ayame loudly before she kneeled down on her right knee, bowed her head.

The Genin looked on slightly confused by her actions. It didn't confuse them as to why she was doing it, since they had seen Anko do something similar for the Hokage. What confused them was the fact that she was kneeling towards the empty throne behind a curtain. She couldn't have been bowing towards the two Sannin since she had walked further pass them before bowing.

Silence settled in as all the occupants in the room turned towards the throne.

"Very good Ayame. I told you the mission wouldn't be that much trouble," said a slightly deep voice that caused Ayame to finally look up towards the throne.

From behind the throne stepped a man nearly as tall as Jiraiya, but no where near as built. If anything he seemed to be more compact and possibly faster then the white-haired man who was now shaking his head while he smirked at the man. The figure parted the curtain that separated the throne from the rest of the room and walked out to stand beside the crouched Kunoichi.

Naruto froze slightly when he noticed who the man looked like and frowned internally. The man had silver hair, but it was no where near as long or wild as the hair of Kakashi. A mask kept his nose and mouth hidden from view, but a scarred left eye could easily be seen by those gathered in the room. Naruto sized the man up and easily saw the ninjato the man had on his back. No other weapons were visible except for the armored greaves and bracers that could easily conceal small throwing weapons.

"Rikimaru, are you sure these are the brats? I was expecting someone like Arashi and Hiashi," questioned Jiraiya as he stepped forward.

Tsunade, Shizune, and Obito soon joined Rikimaru and Jiraiya in the center of the room as they all looked at the three Genin.

"I guess I could understand your question since they don't look like themselves, with the exception of Shikamaru-kun," responded Rikimaru as he motioned for Ayame to stand and smiled behind his mask to the children. Tsunade turned to look at Naruto and Hinata once again, but this time with a more critical eye.

She paused as she looked over Naruto's face and stopped to when she got to his cheeks. She wouldn't have noticed before with just a customary look, but this time she could see the slight discoloration there. Parts of his cheeks didn't have the same tone as the rest of his body. If anything his cheeks were darker then the rest of his face and arms. Some might shrug it off as nothing, or the boy covering up his arms more, and his face being exposed to the sun more. To a trained eye though it was easy to spot the problem.

"They've changed the way they look without using a Henge," muttered Tsunade finally as she walked towards Naruto.

The boy flinched slightly as she brought a hand up and licked her thumb. Before he could move away she had firmly grasped his shoulder and used her thumb to rub away the makeup on his cheek. Tsunade smiled slightly when she removed some of the makeup and slowly started to reveal the whisker marks she had been expecting.

"So Anko trained them in that fashion. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since she did take a liking to those teachings when she was here," said Jiraiya as realization finally dawned on him.

After getting a nod from Ayame, Hinata reached up and removed the contact lenses that she had placed over her lavender eyes. At the same time Naruto reached up and started to remove the ones he had decided to wear. Once that was done Tsunade's smile grew even more as she looked into the bright blue eyes that were now staring back into her brown eyes.

"I guess it really is you Naruto," whispered Tsunade finally before wrapping her arms around him in a massive hug and crying into his shoulder. It was during her muffled apologies that Naruto finally realized who she was and mimicked her actions, minus the apologies.

Jiraiya just groaned at the actions of the two and turned away from the scene to offer some privacy. It wasn't that he didn't are but he didn't want to get caught up in the emotional situation. He was glad to see that the boy had turned out okay after all the years, but he had a reputation to keep up and it wouldn't do to start tearing up right now.

Shizune smiled as well when she saw Tsunade break down and cry tears of happiness instead of sorrow. The only time she had seen her teacher cry before was when she had too much to drink and reflected on all the things she had lost in her life. To see tears of joy now flowing down Tsunade's cheeks was a welcomed sight to the apprentice.

Most others in the room had turned to give the two a sense of privacy was well. Perhaps the only person who wasn't looking away, aside from Shizune, was Hinata. It wasn't often that she got to see a Naruto who was completely open to the world. He used to hide his feelings so well when he was in the Academy, and when they had first been placed on the same team. Now though it was becoming easier for her crush to open up.

To her it was one of the greatest things in the world. It was also another reason why she started to hate the villagers of Konoha. There was no chance a demon could cry tears of joy, sadness, sorrow, or happiness. A true demon wouldn't be able to shed any tears. If they couldn't see the different between Naruto and Kyubi then, to her, they didn't deserve his kindness.

_**

* * *

**_

Not long after the introductions were completed the three Genin were shown to their rooms. At least that was what happened with Hinata and Shikamaru.

Instead of bedding with one of their mentors, like his team mates, Naruto was shown out of the palace and towards the back of the bluff. He was shown to a large lake, a forest, and a rocky spire that was blotted out by the clouds. It wasn't until they had reached a clearing in the forest that Rikimaru and Jiraiya called a stop to their little trip and turned towards their charge.

"This is where we will be training. We will not go into the populated sector of this bluff unless I say we need to," stated Jiraiya. He finished his statement with a slim hum as he looked at Naruto.

They had been walking for nearly an hour, and the pace being set by the older men wasn't an easy one. It was at this time that Naruto started to feel the effects of being on such a high mountain. The thin air and exercise ended up taking more of a toll on him then he had expected. Now he was bent over attempting to catch his breath, while cursing the two for setting such a fast pace.

'_Those bastards did that on purpose,'_ swore Naruto as he straightened himself and looked around.

"Before you even ask, you will probably never see your friend until your training is over. Your isolation is required for the things that I am going to teach you and for the safety of everyone here," cut in Jiraiya when he saw a question starting to form on the lips of the Genin.

Naruto stood there confused for a second but his confusion soon turned into anger when he was told he was being separated for the safety of everyone. It opened wounds that had never healed, and would probably never heal until people saw him as something other then the Kyubi.

"What the hell do you mean by that you bastard," yelled Naruto as he clenched his fist and prepared to trigger his Alter.

Jiraiya looked to Rikimaru confused for a second until he thought over his previous words. He kicked himself when he realized just how the last part could be misunderstood.

"I don't mean it like that boy. I will be inspecting the seal and we will be working on how to deal with the Kyubi. We don't know how things will go and because of that we need to be a safe distance away from any populated areas," answered Jiraiya solemnly as he regretted his earlier words.

Both of the adults sighed when Naruto started to relax and a weight was lifted from their shoulders. The lights that had started to dance across the forest floor vanished, almost as if they were just an illusion.

"What about Tsunade-baa-chan? I wanted to talk to her some," asked Naruto quietly with his head hung.

Okay, so he didn't want to 'talk' to her. He wanted to milk her for information about his mother and father. It was the same thing he had done with Anko when he found out she had known them and then same with Rin. He latched onto any chance he had to learn about his family, but up until now none of them knew about the childhood of his parents. All he could find out was how they were as adults. He wanted to hear some embarrassing stories and about how they lived or met each other.

"I understand what is going through your mind brat, but Kyubi shouldn't be able to do what he has done. Not only that but if you are expected to handle an Uchiha you are going to have to work your fingers to the bone like your father.

Naruto sighed deeply as he looked up at the man who had taught his father. The words made sense, but that didn't mean he had to like them. He had spent his entire life wondering about his family, and now that he knew about them he devoted a great deal of time learning more about them.

"Fine, but I think you may want to know something else about Kyubi and my Alter powers," stated Naruto finally. Rikimaru and Jiraiya were both puzzled by the words of the boy, but they were also eager to know more about the enigmatic forces.

_**

* * *

**_

Later that night Jiraiya sat with Rikimaru around the campfire talking about what they had heard from Naruto. It was hard to believe that the thing they thought was a demon could actually be a being from another dimension. Not just any dimension, but the dimension from which the Alter power evidently originated from.

"And here we thought that Orochimaru was a greater threat," mumbled Jiraiya as he poked the fire and looked over to where Naruto was currently sleeping.

"The news was rather disturbing, but I get the feeling that is only half of the problem. This person that was part of the first generation of Kazuma's must be a dangerous man. If we are to believe the story we were told, then this man has been alive for who knows how long," added Rikimaru as he thought over everything Naruto had told him.

"If this person is part of the Akatsuki, like I believe, then we may have even bigger problems on our hands," muttered Jiraiya as he rubbed his chin.

While Naruto was telling them of the small ritual, they couldn't help but worry about the news being given. After all, finding out that a man with an unknown power who has been alive longer then the elemental countries has been around is slightly disturbing. The questions It brought up were too numerous for the two to list.

The other bomb dropped on them though was equally confusing. From the way Naruto described the happenings of this ritual, someone or something was hinting at Kyubi, and possibly all Biju, being from the _other side_. From where the powers of the Kazuma clan purposively originated.

These creatures or beings were drawn to others of their kind. That could partially explain why the Kyubi had come to Konoha. It came seeking a strong Alter power to devour, or Konoha was just in its way to a stronger source of power. Could it have been after Kazama Arashi, Naruto, this strange new Alter user, or could it have been on its way towards another Biju?

Each time they thought they had an answer, another more complex and confusing question would rear its head to throw them off.

"This is why I gave up being a teacher," mumbled Jiraiya as he sat back to look up at the sky.

Rikimaru nodded his head slightly as he glanced at the slumbering form of Naruto. The training they had originally planed would no longer be used. It was originally designed to help him with the problems with Kyubi, and increase his speed, strength, stamina, and endurance to a new level, one higher far higher then they were presently at.

A great deal of the training was going to focus on his ability to fight without his Alter power. Both of the elder Shinobi knew that depending solely on one move to finish a fight could hinder the growth of their new pupil. It had happened to his father before he had taken to seal crafting and chakra manipulation after all. Once he had ventured into those fields, his Alter power became the trump card only a few were ever able to see.

"To fight an Alter user, you need an equally powerful Alter user," whispered Rikimaru finally as he glanced at Jiraiya.

"The boy is ready for the second form of his Alter, but it seems he has yet to actually unlock it. We are going to have to throw him into several life or death situations if we hope to push him enough to unlock that power. I had planned on something similar to force him and Kyubi into an understanding but now it shall be used to unlock his full power as well," stated the Toad sage before he sighed.

"It seems that Tsunade won't have as much trouble with her charges. To think she wanted to over see Naruto's training more then she did the other two."

"I can't blame the woman Rikimaru. The boy is family that she thought was dead; that I told her was dead. I'm surprised I'm still alive right now to even have this conversation with you," countered Jiraiya while shivering at the thought of what could have been done to him.

"I suppose. It is likely she will take her anger out on her two new pupils though. I do feel bad for them, just a little," added the right hand man of the Daimyo.

Jiraiya chuckled at the silver-haired man as he pulled a small book from a pocket. He casually flipped through the pages before finally stopping and looking up into the eyes of one of the few people in the Daimyo's court to earn his respect.

"From what Sarutobi-sensei has told me, Hyuga Hinata has a little crush on Naruto. Not only that but she probably knows more about the boy's habit then the boy himself does. Since she has known Naruto, Sensei says that she has been like his shadow. I think Tsunade will take a liking to the girl even if she wasn't as kind hearted as she is," rattled off Jiraiya before snapping the book closed and sliding it back into his pocket.

The Azuma Shinobi nodded his head in acceptance before standing and moving away from the campsite. Before he had gone too far though he turned back to look at Naruto's prone form and then turned to look at Jiraiya.

"I suggest you start his training early in the morning. The sooner he gets into shape the better," was all the man said before he vanished into the night.

_**

* * *

**_

Hinata 

Hinata woke the next morning feeling well rested, though sore after their trek up the mountain and through the city. As a Shinobi, she should have been used to such physical activity. That though doesn't change the fact that there are still components of her body and muscles that she doesn't use regularly. Climbing up the mountain just happened to focus on some of those muscles.

'_I can't let them slow me down. Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-kun will be doing their best, so I should as well,'_ thought the young Hyuga as she climbed out of best and went through her morning rituals.

Before she was halfway done, there was a knock at her door. Seconds after the knock a dark haired woman in a dark kimono came walking into the room with a small pig following her. It didn't take long for Hinata to recognize the woman as Shizune, the current apprentice to Tsunade.

"Good morning Hinata-chan, I'm glad you are already up and about. Tsunade-sama wanted you and Shikamaru to work out some before you went to breakfast. So hurry up and meet us out in front of the palace," greeted the woman briefly before leaving the room.

After her door was closed, she could hear the same thing occurring next door in Shikamaru's room. This time though it was accompanied by the sound of something being turned over, and a muffled cry of pain and laughter. Seconds later she could hear a deep laugh booming down the hall as the person exited Shikamaru's room.

Within a few minutes she had exited the palace and was standing out on the parade/training grounds that stood before it. Minutes later Shikamaru joined her while nursing a large bump on his head and cursing at hooded fools.

"Good, both of you are here. From now until you leave for Konoha, you will be waking at three each morning to train before eating breakfast. Afterwards, you will clean up, and we will continue training until lunch. We will then repeat the process with dinner and lights out for you brats will be at nine each night," declared Tsunade as she walked up with Shizune, Ton-Ton, and Obito.

Shikamaru groaned and started to mutter under his breath. The only thing that stopped him from completing his old habit was the flood of killing intent being given off by Tsunade.

"I don't want to hear any complaints. If I do, then you will find yourself in a world of pain," growled Tsunade as she loomed over Shikamaru.

The Nara could only gulp and nod his head in understanding before he straightened up, and glanced at his team mate. She oddly seemed immune to the action of the female Sennin. It confused him at first but then he noticed that Tsunade was only looking at him, and directed everything towards him.

'_Damn women always stick together,'_ thought the boy when he saw Shizune smiling sweetly at him.

"Since we understand each other, I want you to follow my friend here on a jog. By the time you are done with your little jog it should be time for breakfast," stated Tsunade as she motioned towards Obito.

The hooded man started to slowly jog away from the Genin and soon started to lead them away from the city. It didn't take long for Hinata and Shikamaru to notice they were going towards the edge of the bluff. It came as no surprise to them though that Obito soon started to run along the bluff's edge.

The pace being set wasn't exactly a harsh one, but for the altitude they were at it was taking a toll on them. Despite their training with Anko, Hinata still appeared to be the fittest out of the two present members of Team 10. Shikamaru had gotten into shape, but nowhere near the level of his two teammates.

Obito called for a short break once they were halfway around the bluff. The two teens nearly collapsed as they slowed and tried to fight hunching.

"You will get used to the difference in the altitude by the time the day is over. Once you are used to it, fighting down on sea level will be nothing for you. Today we will only being doing one lap, and that is mainly to get you used to the exercise. Everything we do today will be geared towards that. Afterwards count on us upping the difficulty level," said Obito as he leaned against a rock and looked at the teens.

'_This guy is barely even fazed by this. I guess it isn't his first time training here. He must have been here for at least a few days to be acclimated so well,'_ thought Shikamaru as he straightened up and tried to control his breathing.

While doing so he cast a glance over towards Hinata and nearly balked at what he saw.

The girl who many had written off as frail and pathetic in the Academy seemed to be handling things far better then he was. The young Hyuga hardly seemed to be winded from the first stretch. Now that they had a break, she had taken off her jacket to reveal some clothing Anko had obviously picked out. That though wasn't what caused the Nara to twitch in annoyance.

Around her stomach, arms, and legs were weight bands. With her bulky jacket off Shikamaru could now see them as clear as day. It didn't help that the girl seemed to be testing the bindings on them to ensure they were still securely fastened and wouldn't distract her from her work out.

The Nara turned away as the girl turned her back to him, revealing that the clothing she wore was open backed. If that weren't enough to make him turn, then her bending over would have sent him rocketing away as stretched her joints out.

'_Damn women… Naruto if you don't snag her up then somebody else might beat you to it,'_ cursed Shikamaru as he tried to bring his mind away from Hinata.

Obito stood off to the side watching the two Genin, and nearly fell over when he saw what Hinata was doing. It wasn't something he would have expected from someone like Hinata. It looked as if the information they had been given on her might be more then a little off on some accounts.

'_I'll have to bring this up with Tsunade-sama when we return. The girl is obviously pushing herself harder then the Nara. I wonder if littler Naruto is doing the same,'_ thought the Uchiha as he straightened up and called out to his charges.

The rest of the jog went on quietly as they finished circling the bluff and returned to where they had started. By this time, both of the Genin were covered in sweat, and were allowed to return to their rooms to clean up before heading to breakfast. While the two teens were cleaning up, Obito made his way to where Tsunade and Shizune would be waiting for his report on their performance.

_**

* * *

**_

Naruto 

In the forested portion of the bluff another type of training was occurring. Anyone that was near the forest could hear the shouts of pain, annoyance, and anger erupting from the woods.

Anyone who walked into the forest would be shocked at the red streaks that lined boulders, dirt, and the plant life. To many it would seem as if a murder had taken place within the confines of the secluded forest.

If anyone were to make it to the center of the forest by the lake, then they would have seen a bloody figure hunched over on the surface of the lake. Around him were several large frogs armed with a variety of different weapons. On the shore of the lake stood a white-haired man, who looked dead serious.

"You can't expect to battle an Uchiha, Orochimaru, or Akatsuki with the way you are now! If you want to stand a chance you need to be able to take on these Seven Samurai Toads," yelled the man as the boy coughed up blood.

"What kind of training is this," asked the boy feebly as he fought to stay standing.

He had been forced awake at three that morning, and had been moving ever since then. Any weapons and clothing he wanted he had to grab while avoiding the attacks from Jiraiya. At around seven that morning the Toad Sage removed himself from battle and summoned what he called "The Seven Brothers". Each of them was dressed as samurai, at least as close as amphibians could get, and had been attacking him since then. No weapons were blunted. No attacks pulled to lessen the damage. Everything was full speed from the word go.

"You need to be on your toes and ready for anything at a moment's notice. No real enemy will ever give you the time to properly defend yourself if they intend to kill you," yelled Jiraiya as he walked onto the surface of the lake.

Naruto growled as he prepared to defend himself from the coming onslaught. He was thankful that Jiraiya had stuck with mainly Taijutsu and a few defensive jutsu at the start of the fight. When the toads came out, he had been lucky to dodge a few of the blows. Others he had tried to ensure they would only hit in non-vital areas. Now though he would be lucky to find a patch of skin that hadn't been cut in some fashion.

His entire body ached and he was sure the only thing keeping him standing was his refusal to lose to the white haired bastard. The main thing on his mind though was the blood that he was losing. After remedial work with Anko, he knew he had lost more then enough blood to cause some problems. He had been trying to shake off the lightheaded feeling for the past hour, and even now knew that he couldn't fight it off any more. It would only be a matter of time before he passed out.

"There is only one way you are leaving this lake Naruto," stated Jiraiya once he was in front of the blond.

Naruto stood there frozen as he heard the coldness in the voice of his trainer. Just hearing the man talk sent a chill down his spine and made him stand straighter. It made the boy run over a mental checklist of when, where, and how he could escape. Most of all it triggered something within him that he had never really felt before.

The toads and Jiraiya all started forward. To any onlookers it would seem as if they wished to finish the boy off. The panicked and beaten look on Naruto was more then enough to tell them he felt the same way. What many of them did not know was what Jiraiya had hoped to do with this training.

Soon though anyone looking on would be surprised.

_**

* * *

**_

Mindscape 

Within the mind of Naruto, the Kyubi stood behind the bars of its cage smiling in satisfaction. Soon he would be free of his prison, and one-day exact revenge on the village that had imprisoned him for so long. It wouldn't be any time soon, but he would level the buildings of Konoha, and be sure to savor the taste of those within the walls.

"_**Finally I'll be free of this blasted boy,"**_ mused the Kyubi as he chuckled in amusement.

Already it could see the lights dimming, and hear the sound of footsteps running through the halls of Naruto's mind. He knew who it was and what was likely going to be asked. He did not intend to help the boy in any way. That didn't mean he couldn't tease the boy though and give him false hope.

"KYUBI! That bastard is going to kill us! You are a living being and probably don't want to die any more then I do," screamed Naruto as he entered the room and stopped just short of the cage.

The demon laughed and coated Naruto in saliva as it barked at the words. It slowly regained control of itself though and looked down its muzzle at the blond as it smiled enough to reveal its deadly fangs.

"_**Oh, I wish to live human,"**_ stated Kyubi finally as he lowered his head.

The demon had to fight the urge to smile at the glimpse of hope that flickers across the blond. Things were going just how it had wanted.

"_**I wish to live boy, but unlike you pathetic humans I can rise from the dead. The Shinigami has no claim to my soul and once I am free of this wretched place I will return to the **Other Side**, and one day to return to finish what I started the day you were born."**_

Naruto stood there frozen at the words the Kyubi had spoken echoed through his mind. The deal with the Shinigami, the sacrifice of his mother and father. All of it was for nothing if what the Kyubi said was true. It would merely return to the birthplace of Alters, and recover whatever energy it may have lost. All to return years later to seek revenge.

"No."

The Kyubi stopped laughing when he heard the words escape Naruto's mouth. Slowly it cocked its head to the side and looked at the boy who now looked down at the floor with clinched fists.

"_**What was that boy? Trying to grow a backbone now of all times? Don't you see it is useless for you to continue fighting? Your body no longer has enough blood in it to sustain life. As we speak, your lungs are filling with what little blood you have. Those tasty morsels you humans call ribs have punctured several organs. You have no chance of living," **_taunted Kyubi again.

The only answer given to him by Naruto was "No" as Naruto continued to clench his fist and stare at the ground. The lights in the room started to flicker as the Genin started to walk towards the cage that held Kyubi. With each step Naruto took wisps of Alter energy could be seen rising from the footprints that he left in his wake.

"I don't know why you've only started acting like this, but I do know I went through most of my life recovering from injuries faster then everyone else. You act as if you have control of what goes on here but you couldn't be further from the truth. I'm the warden and the prison. You are nothing but an inmate who thinks he runs the place," declared Naruto as he touched the bars of the cage.

Kyubi started to growl and made a move to stab Naruto with his claws once he was at the cage. Just as his claws were about to run Naruto through they started to disintegrate into specs of light. The demon recoiled in pain and howled as he backed away from the young alter user.

"Your power is my power. My life is your life. Without one there will not be another. I die you die, and you will not be reborn. I'm taking back control of this place one way or another. You will never see the light of die until _**I**_ feel you have regretted your previous actions."

Kyubi snarled as he went to drive its other claw through the blond, only to have the previous action occur again. With both of its front paws badly injured, it could only fall to the ground in a position oddly similar to a bow.

"_**DAMN YOU BOY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME," **_screamed the demon as the specs of light started to fly towards Naruto and circle him.

Naruto looked up towards the Kyubi's furious eyes as he brought his right arm up and clenched it into a fist. As Naruto did this, the lights in the maze of Naruto's minds exploded back into life and flooded the twists and turns with light.

"I'm taking back control and putting things back the way they should be. If I don't we would probably end up dead at the hands of that bastard ancestor of mine," said the boy as he started to walk away.

_**

* * *

**_

Naruto 

Jiraiya was afraid at first when he saw chakra explode from the blond Genin. His fear intensified when he noticed the red wisps that started to mix in with the blue. When the chakra took on a rainbow like hue, he started to sweat and fear for his life. Then an explosion of power sent up a spray of mist and forced the Toad sage to cover his eyes.

It was then that Jiraiya heard the distinct sound of summons being released and felt a powerful blow that sent him flying back to shore.

"FUCKING ERO-SENNIN! You want to try to kill me again, well bring it on," shouted Naruto as water cascaded back into the lake, and a heavy "rain" soaked the blond.

Jiraiya righted himself before he landed and easily landed on his feet as he smiled at a fully healed Naruto. The only thing that would give away he had been injured were the holes in his clothing.

"Very good brat. Now its time to go to the next level of your training," shouted Jiraiya as he fought to keep from laughing at the pissed look on the boy's face.

_**

* * *

**_

Tsunade 

The female Sannin sat and listened to Obito's report and mulled over just what his words may mean. It was obvious what they _meant_, but what would it mean to their training was another thing entirely.

Most Kunoichi who formed a crush on a Shinobi neglected their training, and focused more on their looks. It was a deadly flaw that ended up claiming the lives of many Shinobi and Kunoichi alike. In the end though most only learned their lesson when it was too late. Others may come to realize how foolish they were. Once that happened one of three things normally occurred.

First, they would realize that the Shinobi/Kunoichi life isn't for them. These people would give up on such a violent life and leave the military services of Konoha. They would become regular villagers and try to find a job that they might be better suited for. These people could often live normal lives if they made the choice sooner in their life. If they waited until they had been a Shinobi/Kunoichi for years, then the odds of them being able to adapt to normal society were slim to none. That would then lead to suicide, drunken habits, or in the extreme, becoming a Shinobi for hire. Of course, some also went into the reserve program, where they could live a normal life, and would have to take a small test of their abilities every three months.

The second option left open to these people was to become serious about their career. In this case, they would take their training serious for once, and strive to become a better Shinobi/Kunoichi. It didn't mean that they had to ignore their love life, and other personal aspects. It just meant that they didn't put as much emphasis on it as they had before. Their life, well being, and the life of others in the village would come before everything else. It was something that was common for warriors of Konoha.

The final option was one that often occurred when they realized too late. The Shinobi or Kunoichi would be killed in action in a scenario that could have been prevented if they had paid more attention to their training. A Shinobi or Kunoichi should never be killed by small bands of bandits, since it should be a routine mission for them. The unlucky Shinobi of Kunoichi though would suffer a fate worst then death. They would be taken as slaves and tortured, raped, or held hostage until they were of no further use to their captors. That was normally told to Kunoichi, but it also happened to Shinobi, though it was hardly talked about as much. In the case of a person with a Kekkei Genkai, they may be turned into breeding stock for an enemy nation. None of these outcomes were favorable though.

The last option was one that Tsunade detested the most. As a woman who once took her job serious, she felt saddened, and yet disgusted when that occurred to Kunoichi. Saddened because it meant the loss of a life that could have been saved if the person had realized sooner the outcome of their choices. Disgusted because of what might befall them. During her time in Konoha, she fought against using Kunoichi as slaves, holding them hostage, and raping them for information. It didn't seem right to her, even if they were a military.

"I can see some of Anko's influence through the clothing you described. It's obvious that Anko likely knows of Hinata's feelings towards Naruto, and is probably trying to help the girl gain the confidence to act on her feelings. At the same time she is taking her training seriously, which is a very good thing," commented Tsunade finally as she looked at Obito and Shizune.

Shizune nodded her head in agreement, and was secretly proud of the young Hyuga. Even though she may not have known her very long, she liked the young Kunoichi. It was possible that the girl reminded her of herself at that age, but it was just as likely that her hidden romantic side was pushing the girl to gain the attention of her crush.

"Yes, it does seem that some of the information sent by Hokage-sama and gathered by Ayame-chan. They mentioned that their mentality was different, but they never stated how different it had become. Hinata-san seems to have taken her training very serious. I think it may be obvious that it is partially due to Naruto and knowing what he has gone through most of his life. She wants to be a strong support for him, and be there when he needs someone to confide in," added Obito from across the table.

"It seems though that while they care for each other as more then just friends, they are not sure how to act out those feelings. They don't know just how to say the three words that have been absent from Naruto's life for so long, and likely Hinata's."

Tsunade nodded at the Uchiha in understanding. Young love was a strange thing, and more so when then people involved were not used to expressing those feelings. For these two it was sure to be a wild ride.

The blonde-haired woman sighed as she leaned back in her seat and thought about the situation. It was far too early for them to become hung up on their feelings for each other. If they did, it could change the way the team functioned; a reason why relationships within the Team was often frowned upon. At the same time though Konoha drew strength from such bonds and Naruto seemed to draw the most strength from such feelings.

"I guess it is a good thing that Jiraiya is going to be keeping Naruto out in the woods," said Tsunade finally.

She didn't like the choice made by her friend, but couldn't help but agree with it given the situation. The things that these three were going to face meant that they had to crank up the training to prepare them. It was no longer just about a possible confrontation with a Rogue Uchiha. It was now about a confrontation with a person that defied time, and quite possibly held one of the strongest Kekkei Genkai known.

"Shizune, the girl has shown a fondness towards poisons. After looking through her bags, and reviewing the book she was given I've decided you will teach her everything you know about the subject. That doesn't mean I won't be helping when I can. Most of the time I may end up busy with the Akimichi's special pills. If you need to, get Tesshu to help you out," added the woman as she tented her hands on the table.

Shizune nodded her head but couldn't stop the shiver from racing down her spine as she thought of the man. He reminded her too much of Jiraiya for her to be comfortable around. The good thing was that she might get to play matchmaker some, and try to build the girl's confidence up some. Not to mention coming from a clan like the Hyugas, she probably didn't get to enjoy a good talk with other girls.

"Until Jiraiya calls for you Obito, you will be training Shikamaru. I want you to work his bony ass into the ground every day. When he starts getting used to a work out routine, change it up and make him work harder. I've heard nothing but good things about the brat, but the one bad thing everyone has to say is that he is lazy. Even Anko mentioned his lazy nature and how he doesn't push himself as much as the others seemed to do. If words don't motivate him, then try kunai and shuriken to get him moving," stated the woman as she turned to the one-eyed man.

The man nodded his head and smiled behind the high collar of his cloak. He remembered all the training he went through under the former Yondaime, and then under Tsunade. He always hatred being the pupil and secretly couldn't wait to be a slave driver to his own students one day. Perhaps it was his hidden prankster that had to go into hiding when he started traveling with Tsunade. One way or another though, he was going to enjoy tormenting Shikamaru.

"Remember, we only have a month to whip these kids into shape. Once that month is over, we are heading to Konoha, along with the Daimyo, for the Chunin exams. They need to be ready for just about anything that might pop up in war," ended Tsunade as she stood and looked at her two companions.

"Yes Ma'am," answered Obito as he stood and saluted. The entire time he was fighting the urge to look down past Tsunade's chin and at her nearly exposed breasts.

Shizune nodded at her mentor and smiled at the enthusiasm displayed by her friends. It wasn't often that they were worked up over something that wasn't money, gambling, or perverted. So to see the two agreeing on something outside of those categories was a great relief to the sole person who acted as the guidance counselor of the little group.

"Their lunch break is over, so I think we should get back to them. Shizune, you go with Hinata, and Obito I want you to work with Shikamaru on whatever you feel is necessary," stated Tsunade after getting an agreement from everyone.

The three filed out of the room and made their way to where the Genin were supposed to be enjoying their brief lunch. It didn't take them long to make it to the mess hall where the Palace guards consumed their meals. All it took was them to walk into the room for the two young Genin to stand and make their way out of the room behind the Legendary Kunoichi and her two aides.

It didn't go unnoticed by the guards who were "in the loop" to realize that the Legendary Sucker seemed to have finally taken on another apprentice. It would of course be the talk of the Palace, since Tsunade was like Royalty in a sense. Because of this, it was a good thing that the Genin still kept their disguises on.

With a few simple commands Shizune was followed by Hinata out into one of the gardens of the Palace. At the same time Shikamaru followed Obito out in front of the palace and to the training grounds of the Palace Guards and Soldiers.

"It seems that Tsunade-sama wants to work on your Taijutsu and general physical capabilities. Because of that you will be taking part in some of the drills performed by the troops stations here," stated Obito as he paused to gauge the boy's reaction.

Shikamaru looked as the men and women ran along the grounds. None of the soldiers were decked out in clothing one would normally work out in. Instead, they wore the attire they would normally take part in combat in. On top of the armor they wore, several of the larger men could be seen taking part in strength building exercises and contests.

"Your general physique needs to be worked on, and because of that I have just the right program for you," commented Obito as he started to walk towards the one exercise that had Shikamaru's eyes bugging out.

It looked like something primal or something you would only expect to find in a POW camp. Men walking in circles while they pushed a mill wheel. While they did this a series of cogs and wheels would turn and grind grains of all kinds. It was something that could have been done by farm animals, but instead it seemed the soldiers in the Palace took it upon themselves to perform this duty.

"They don't like slackers, and they won't hesitate to crack their new found whip on you. By order of Tsunade-sama, you will be working here after breakfast and your morning runs," stated Obito as he pushed the Nara towards a burly man with a whip in his hands.

'_I'm going to kill Naruto with I get out of here,'_ thought Shikamaru as he as pushed into the mill, and had his hands strapped to the wheel.

It would be the one thought and goal that would see the Nara through his training.

_**

* * *

**_

Hinata 

Shizune quietly led Hinata through the Palace and out back towards a section of the Palace grounds that reminded her of the Hyuga clan homes. The buildings were slightly raised, and seemed to be a more traditional design.

The closer the two got though the more Hinata could tell that the buildings seemed to be unoccupied. It was clean but little life could be seen. It was only after they had walked into the center of the home that Hinata saw the first true sign of life in the form of a garden.

"We will be handling your lessons in poisons here in the Azuma home. This garden is the home of several poisons that they once used in assassinations and other missions in the name of the Daimyo," finally said Shizune as she motioned for Hinata to have a seat on the walkway bordering the garden.

"Before we begin though, I would like to set down a few guidelines. While we are here we will wear protective surgical gloves to ensure we don't accidentally poison ourselves. Some of the poisons we will be working with can be applied through skin contact, and do not have to be introduced into the blood," stated Shizune as she produced gloves for Hinata to wear.

The Hyuga heiress nodded as she put the gloves on; having already undergone through something similar with Meizu, Gozu, Haku, and Anko. It had been one of the first things they grilled into her head to ensure she never accidentally poisoned herself. The second thing they made sure she understood was just as easy to understand. When working with poison, never touch your lips, eyes, nose, clothes, or other parts of your body. This helped to further the prevention of self-poisoning, and ensured that you didn't poison others who may touch those parts of you.

"As you probably know, there is to be no loose clothing here either. If any of the poisons we work on comes into contact with your clothes, then we may have to either burn them, or wash them to flush the poison out," added the meek woman as she continued going over "lab" safety.

The two sat there for several more minutes as Shizune continued to go over safety procedures and what was being expected of the young Hyuga. The instruction from Shizune was not just going to be limited to creating poisons based off plants and animals. She would also instruct the girl in some of her own personal Ninjutsu that incorporated them. They would cover how to add the concoctions to weapons and several hidden weapons that Shizune was rather proud of.

"Shizune-sensei… I'm not sure about hiding laced needles under my tongue, but I do like the idea of a wrist mounted launcher," stated Hinata.

Shizune laughed softly at the girl's reaction to one of Shizune's hidden weapons. It wasn't a strange place to hide weapons, but it was an odd way to hide laced weapons on your body. It wasn't an easy thing to do either. One of the major problems you would have is the poison on the weapon, and how it would interact with your saliva. Another of the problems would be learning how to operate with the weapons hidden in your mouth, and not swallowing them or chocking on them.

"I understand your hesitance. I myself had more then a few problems when I first started to use this type of attack. Had Tsunade-sama not been there I could have died on a number of occasions. I only had this problem because I didn't have anyone to teach me how to do it properly," answered Shizune with a happy smile on her face.

Hinata couldn't help but smile slightly at the cheerfulness of the woman. It wasn't like Naruto's, but her genuine kindness and gentle nature seemed to comfort her. Hinata's smiled dimmed slightly as she remembered the last person who could put her at ease so easily.

Shizune noticed the sudden change in the mood of her student. She wasn't sure what had brought about the change in demeanor, since the only other time she had acted like this was when they were told Naruto wouldn't be training with them. The apprentice went over everything she had said and done and still couldn't figure out what had happened.

"What's wrong," asked Shizune finally as she moved closer to the young woman.

Hinata tried to shake off the woman's concern. This wasn't anything new to Shizune. She had spent years with Tsunade and Obito and could easily pick up signs of depression. She had become an expert at reading the emotions of those around due to the constant change that would occur between the two.

'_I could try pressing her for more details. I hardly know her though, and she hardly knows me. She may be hesitant to trust me with what ever may be causing her to feel this way. I hope she doesn't keep it locked away,'_ thought Shizune as she made up her mind to talk to Tsunade about it later.

"Alright then Hinata-chan why don't we start on your lessons," decided Shizune finally as she smiled serenely at the young woman.

_**

* * *

**_

Jiraiya 

It had nearly been a week since Jiraiya started training Naruto, and the landscape showed that he was a harsh task master. It seemed as if the Gama-Sannin believed in practical experience rather then theoretical exercises. While it may have seemed harsh, it did get the job done with those motivated enough to get their acts into gear.

Currently the perverted sage was on the shoreline of the lake watching as bubbles of air would breach the surface from time to time. As he stood there watching the bubbles finally stopped surfacing. Still the man stood there watching and waiting for his young charge.

Since Naruto had managed to get the seal working properly again Jiraiya had started the boy off on some intense chakra control exercises. They were intense because of the fact that if you failed at them there was a chance you could end up killing yourself. With Tsunade a summon scroll away though he wasn't too worried. With Naruto healing like he should have been for the last few months, he didn't have a fear in the world.

The current exercise was two fold. The first part of it was to use chakra to grab a hold of the bottom of the lake and walk across. Not an easy feat when the sediment was loose and could easily cause a mistake. It wasn't something that many of the mainland Hidden Villages bothered with, since the odds of them fighting in such a place was slim to none. Those that did only practiced it among their highest ranks, or with those who wished to specialize in a field. For beginners it helped to weigh them down with a few pounds of rocks to get them to stay down on the lakebed.

The second and most dangerous part of the chakra control exercise was something only the most experience Kiri, Ame, Taki, and Medical Shinobi could do. It required the breaking down of the base elements of the water into something that would continue to oxygenate the blood. The dangerous part of this came from the fact that you actually had to fill your lungs with water and "breathe" normally.

The slightest mistake could very well drown the young Genin.

That though was one of the reasons that a toad was also down with the young Genin as he practiced these dangerous exercises. Aside from saving the blond if he ran out of air, it would also slowly remove the rocks from Naruto's backpack to ensure he actually learned the exercise.

"If the boy can get these down then he should have no problem completing the Rasengan or any other chakra manipulation," muttered Jiraiya as he pertinently awaited news from the observation toad. So far the record for staying under, breathing, was at about the normal length of time someone could hold their breath.

Now it had passed Naruto's record and was crossing into a dangerous territory.

"You better not die on me brat or Tsunade will kill me," muttered the man as he waited patiently.

The seconds turned into minutes and still there was no sign of Naruto or the watch toad. If the toad had been dispelled Jiraiya would have known by now. After all, when summons were dispelled they tend to displace air. Displaced air would cause a surge of bubbles to surface and signify that Jiraiya needed to get down there fast.

"There is no way the brat managed to get the hang of this in such a short amount of time. He's only had a few hours each day to practice this," thought the man aloud as he looked up at the sun.

After thirty minutes Jiraiya was sure that the boy was just doing this to piss him off, and he was doing a brilliant job of it. Still though, he couldn't help but be proud and confused at how the boy managed to get the hang of such techniques in such a short amount of time.

'_What better way to get the answer then right from the horse's mouth,'_ thought the man as he stomped his sandaled foot down on a stone that was just barely touching the surface of the water.

It was a signal he had worked out with the toads watching Naruto In advanced, just incase he and Naruto needed to move onto another lesson. Since Naruto would normally spend the entire three hours trying to get the hang of the exercise, he had never needed to use it before. Now though it seemed the wonder blond had gotten the hang of the technique.

Seconds later bubbles could be seen rising to the surface, and soon a light blue toad with yellow swirls could be seen. Holding onto the surfacing amphibian was none other then Naruto as they finally surfaced and started to swim to shore.

No one said anything as Naruto crawled onto the bank and doubled over and proceeded to purge his lungs of the water within. Minutes later the boy was sitting up straight and taking in breathes of fresh air.

"That water tastes nasty Ero-Sennin," muttered the Genin as he leaned back against one of the trees around the lake.

Jiraiya laughed at the remark, and laughed even harder as Naruto tried to join him only to double over in slight pain. It was one of the side effects of the control exercise that he had been doing. His body and lungs had become accustomed to the way the water filled his lungs, and was now trying to reacquaint itself with being filled with regular air.

"Don't worry kid, your body will slowly become accustomed to the changes and will adapt," stated Jiraiya as he remember going through similar pains when he had learned it during his travels.

"I really hope so because it hurts like hell," groaned Naruto after he had finished coughing and vomiting out what was left of his breakfast and water.

"How'd you get that down so fast kid? I know you are pretty quick to catch on, but I intentionally limited the time you had to work on this for that reason," asked Jiraiya as he offered his canteen to him.

"I figured you were Ero-Sennin, and that's why I practiced at night after you left to the city," snapped Naruto while he declined the canteen while suppressing a shudder. After spending nearly thirty minutes under water, breathing it and drinking it, he wanted nothing more to do with the liquid unless there was no other choice.

Jiraiya had to resist the urge to boot Naruto into the water as he took a long pull from his canteen and thought over what else he could have worked on. He figured he had worked on the Rasengan while he was gone; it was somewhat easy to tell from all of the craters that kept popping up. Suiton jutsus was another possibility since Naruto had been training under Zabuza for a brief time. Swords skills were a major possibility as well, due to how the next form of his Alter was described.

"Fine then brat, but I'm still not teaching you anything until you show me can you perform the Rasengan with a single hand, and without your Alter activated," snapped Jiraiya when he noticed Naruto making faces at him.

Naruto's face fell as he glared at the Toad Sage. He had still failed to perform the Rasengan without the strange benefit his Alter seemed to provide him. Without the Alter power activated, he had been using a clone to help him form the deadly Rasengan, and had been trying to wean himself off that dependence since he started training with Jiraiya.

"Well you did good for just being here for a little over a week kid. You still have a ways to go though before you learn one specific technique that will prove valuable should you ever fight another Jinchuuriki or a summoner. Get some rest and then you can work on your Rasengan. It should be more then a little easier now with these control exercises down," admitted Jiraiya as he stood up and walked towards their campsite.

"Not to mention we still have to work on your reflexes and reaction time. If you ever hope to beat someone with the Sharingan you have to be able to react instantly and respond to attacks that they believe you would never be able to respond to," added Jiraiya as he now towered over Naruto and smiled grimly.

It was a feeling that Naruto was starting to dread. Something in his gut twisted as he watched Jiraiya bite his thumb and smear blood across his hand. That was all it took for Naruto to realize just what the man was about to do.

Naruto only had a few seconds to rush to his belongings and grab his weapons before seven clouds of smoke surrounded him. Before the smoke could even clear, Naruto was avoiding the weapons that started to appear from the clouds to skewer him.

"NOT THESE BASTARDS AGAIN ERO-SENNIN," screamed Naruto as he did everything he could to avoid the attacks from the Seven Brothers.

_**

* * *

**_

Obito 

After nearly two weeks of training Obito was starting to become impressed with his young charge. Of course, the young Nara struggled with his training at first, but slowly he was starting to figure things out. While it may have been a physical exercise, it didn't mean that the boy couldn't use his head to figure out some helpful hints.

How to correctly push the mill wheel, the angle of the body, how to properly grip the ground to ensure the right amount of leverage and force. These were things that Shikamaru could easily figure out given the time and desire. Having been at the task for almost two weeks gave him enough time to figure things out. Having a man crack a whip at him every time he started to slow increased the desire to find a way to do his work without the consequences.

Of course the whip only touched him once or twice, but that was often more then enough to get him moving. There was just something about a whip snapping close to your ear that seemed to motivate people into action. Some human fear that was ingrained into their most basic functions.

"I'm surprised he has lasted this long though," muttered Obito as he watched the Nara walk in a circle hunched over pushing.

The main reason he was astonished was the fact that Shikamaru had yet to drop to the ground in exhaustion. Even during his first few days he had not dropped and had just continued pushing. For a person with Shikamaru's history that was truly amazing.

The reward for his effort could already bee seen though in the way he moved, and how he seemed to increase his overall strength and stamina. While it may not appear like much, his musculature was finally becoming more toned and distinct. His skin was finally taking on more color due to the constant exposure to the sun. It would probably come as a shock to many in Konoha when they saw him again.

Tsunade had even been surprised when Obito had brought him in one night. Is wasn't that Shikamaru has passed out during the workout, but right after he was told he was done for the day, he promptly passed out and had to be carried back to his room. Once there the busty blonde had checked him out and assured Obito that he was just physically exhausted.

From that day on Tsunade had been sure to check on him after each day while he was sleeping. It wasn't just for her peace of mind, but to help his muscles grow by slightly repairing the damage that had been done to them. This was also the time that she would tell Obito if he should increase the load that was being ground by Shikamaru.

Shaking his mind from the thoughts of the past week, Obito looked up towards the sun to determine how much longer Shikamaru had. From what he could guess it would only be a matter of minutes before the sentinels watching him would call a stop for the day. With that in mind he calmly walked over to the pit where Shikamaru worked. It seemed he had timed it just right too since Shikamaru was making his way out of the pit and resting at a water trough to quench the thirst that had built up.

"Another lovely day at work," asked Obito as he moved beside the dark-haired boy in his ever happy mood. He laughed slightly when Shikamaru scowled at him and his perpetual happiness.

"It's easy for you to be happy when you just sit around, eat, drink, and being merry. I've worked my ass off the last two weeks," muttered Shikamaru darkly before dunking his head in the water. Obito only laughed again as the Nara brought his head up and made sure to wet him with the water flying from his hair.

"Well come along, Tsunade wanted you to at least shower this time before you joined her and the others for dinner," commanded Obito as he started to walk off. Shikamaru soon followed him and waved to the men who had been supervising him the last two weeks.

"So when will we get to see Naruto again? We haven't been able to talk to him since he left to train with Jiraiya-sama," asked Shikamaru as he once again tried to pry information from the hooded man.

It had begun as a venture in information gathering. After all he knew very little about this hooded man, and yet he seemed to know a great deal about every member of Team 10. He had of course tried asking the man questions about himself, but they were evaded easily by the man. He had tried catching a glimpse of what was under the hood and yet could never seem to pierce the shadow that always seemed to be present.

To a person who thrived on information, it was becoming quite an annoyance for the young Nara.

"Hm, don't know," stated the man as he seemed to rub his chin. His answer was obviously something that Shikamaru had heard already since he just snorted and rolled his eyes.

"What do you know," muttered Shikamaru as he tried to march ahead of his guide.

Just to irritate him, Obito walked ahead a little faster and turned around to face the boy. Even though he couldn't see the face beneath the cowl, he could tell that Obito was smiling at him. For some strange reason it reminded him of the times Choji talked about Kakashi and his mask.

"Now now Shika-kun that isn't any way to talk to the person who tells the nice men at the mill wheel how much weight and grain to put in each day," taunted Obito, as he seemed to dance while back-pedaling.

Shikamaru just glared at where he assumed the eyes of the man were. He knew he couldn't do anything to stop them from upping his training regiment. He also knew that he needed the training that he was currently undergoing. Strength had never been his strong point and knew that depending on his brains and shadow skills wouldn't be enough if he wanted to pursue a career as a Shinobi.

Obito watched as Shikamaru seemed to contemplate the things they had just talked about. While it was nothing major, it still seemed that no matter what the young Nara would constantly process information. At the moment it seemed that he was thinking over his recent training and what it might mean.

'_Throughout the Academy he has always failed at physical exercises. Even his skill with kunai was surpassed by some of the less skilled students. It could be because of the fact that he didn't want to reveal much, but even Naruto revealed his true nature off and on during the time he was in the academy. The records don't reflect any such fluctuations in Shikamaru's behavior. Nor did the reports from the teachers and random ANBU observations reveal anything of that nature. It can only mean that his true power is with his mind._

'_This is proven when we take into consideration his love of strategy games like Shogi and Go. Searches of his bedroom and home always turned up puzzles books and puzzle games that were well beyond anyone within his age range. He may have determined since he was gifted with higher intelligence then those around him that it would be best to apply himself there,'_ mused Obito as he turned around to face away from Shikamaru.

The reports and files sent by the Sandaime were surprisingly informative on Shikamaru. While there was a few interesting tidbits of information from the Academy on Hinata and Naruto, it seemed that Shikamaru was spotted by the Hokage far earlier then anyone else.

Part of the information came from random observations done by ANBU and Jonin to ensure that nothing like what happened with Itachi happened again with the current group of students. Students would be watched and observed to see if they might be a threat to those around them. It was also one of the ways they tried to determine if a student was actually meant for a life as a Shinobi.

Not only would the student be watched, but their homes searched for anything that might seem strange for an Academy student to possess. It was during this that some rather embarrassing information would be found out about numerous of the Academy students and filed away into a record kept in the Hokage's vaults.

The last part though was harder to do on those students who came from big families, such as the Hyuga clan.

It wasn't the best way to gather information about the would be Shinobi, but it did help to look into them. The last thing Konoha had ever wanted was another Orochimaru or Itachi. Many among the leaf village felt that had one too many child prodigies go bad.

"What ever just leave me alone. All I wanted to know about was one of my friends. I didn't want some smart-ass answer," said Shikamaru as he resigned himself to his fate.

"I know he is doing so crazed training wherever he is because I can feel it. Late at night I can feel the vibrations in the ground from him using his alter power. The way his chakra feels saturates the air, even though we are probably a good distance away from where he is training. Last but not least, at night I can see the aura given off by his alter ability at night time," added Shikamaru as he ticked reasons off on his fingers.

'_It seems Naruto-kun's team mates have become attuned to his chakra signature and alter ability after spending so much time with him. Hardly surprising though since he does seem to exude power, and lately it seems like he is a straining dam trying to keep the flood of power back,'_ mused Obito as he smiled beneath his cowl.

"Well, don't tell anyone I said this," started Obito as he stopped and leaned down towards Shikamaru.

To the Nara it felt like he was being let in on some big secret, though no secret could match the bombshells Naruto had dropped on him.

"You three came here early, and made good time at the same time. Because of that your training is actually going faster then we had counted on," continued Obito as he glanced around. Quietly he moved Shikamaru into a dark passage between a grain storehouse and tool shed.

"The first two parts of the Chunin exams would take at least six days. One day from the first stage, and then five more days for the Second stage. After the second stage of the exam the participants will be given a month to prepare for the finals," added Obito in a whisper.

Shikamaru just nodded his head and tried to add up the numbers in his head. If he had to guess, Team 10 had left about three days before the start of the exam. If took them at least three days to get to the capital, about the time the Chunin exams had started. They had been training for two weeks, meaning that the first two parts of the exam had passed.

"I see you noticed. Well something else you should know about the Chunin Exams finals. It is a big event, as I'm sure you know, and because of this Feudal Lords, Daimyos, and leaders from all participating countries will make the trek to Konoha to witness the fights. Because of this, and the way such crowds tend to travel, depending on where they are they may have to leave days or weeks in advanced," continued Obito when he saw understanding flash across Shikamaru's face.

"As you probably know such travel for a leader of a country requires fanfare and at times large numbers of guards. Since you probably could guess it, we will be leaving here with the Daimyo. Taking into consideration the people who will be joining him, it could take use at least a week to make it to Konoha. It could go faster but we will be traveling with people who are not used to such activities. Not only that but the pack animals will need to rest every so often. Villages along the way will want to see their leader and that of course will slow things down as well. All of that considered, you have only a week more to train, if my guess is right," stated Obito as he finally straightened up.

It may not have seemed too informative, but it did answer a few of the questions that had been bothering Shikamaru. One of course was when he would finally get to see Naruto again. A side effect of that was also being able to see and talk with Hinata. Even though he had breakfast, lunch and dinner with her, they were often too tired to talk about the details of their training.

"I can't wait," mumbled Shikamaru as he once again followed Obito towards the mess hall.

_**

* * *

**_

Hinata 

Hinata groaned as she limped towards the mess hall with Shizune leading.

At first she thought all of her training with Shizune was going to be easy, as easy as medicine and poisons could be at least. She didn't expect her lessons to be split into two sections while working with Shizune. So of course she was surprised when Shizune had taken her outside and introduced her to the female soldiers and Ayame.

Her team with the female occupants of the Palace was spent stretching her body to new limits and learning of more ways to use her smaller and more agile body to her advantage. Many of the people training her felt that there was no need for a female not to be the leader of a squad, military, village, or country. This showed in their work ethic and the fact that many of them could go against some of the best male guards and soldiers in the capital.

The exercises had started out simple enough, and focused on stretching her body to the limits. She soon found herself stretching in ways she would have never dreamed of with the Juken. From different forms of the splits, to dangerously high front, side, and back kicks; she found her legs being twisted and turns in every way her teachers could imagine.

After her first lesson with them she soon found herself thankful to Anko for selecting clothing that was suited for such exercises. Even though they showed off more skin then she was accustomed to, they offered the perfect amount of flexibility to her while fighting. The only problem she had could easily be covered up with a jacket, which she had already figured out when Anko bought the clothes for her.

After the first week of working with these women though she had started to get over the pain of her muscles tearing, and the aches in her joints. She was no longer tender from being stretched, and bent in awkward angles, and could now do most of the moves that was asked of her by Ayame and the other women. That though did little for her mood as she thought back to some of the comments thrown at her by some of the ruder and more loose-mouthed men that had come across her during her training.

"You did very well today Hinata, and I'm sure your father and team would be proud of how far you have come in such a short time," said Shizune as she paused outside of the mess hall to look down at her pupil with pride filled eyes.

Hinata looked up at the older woman, uncertain at first but then smiled back.

Praise wasn't something she was used to, even after working together with Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Anko. Though she received praise from them, she had grown up receiving little praise from her father and clansmen. It wasn't until that night that she had forged a bond with Naruto that she had started to gain praise from her father.

That isn't to say that she didn't gain any before the day that her life had turned upside down, and stumbled upon the secret of her crush. Teachers would sometimes praise her and at times some of the Branch Members would praise her as well. Those were never the praises she had yearned for though. She had desired nothing more then to gain her father's respect and to hear a few kind words from him. After that the only other person that mattered would probably be the one who praised her at every corner now; Kazama Uzumaki Naruto.

Since the day she and Naruto had learned the truth about his past, things had been different for her. Her father had finally started to show a side she hadn't seen since her mother had passed away. She now had the praises she had wanted but it was still taking her some getting used to.

"Thank you Shizune-san," answered Hinata finally as she bowed in gratitude to the woman.

Ton-Ton oinked from the floor beside Shizune and looked up and smiled, as best as a pig could, once Hinata looked in her direction. The small animal perked up some when Hinata decided to thank it and started to scratch it behind the ear.

"Yes, and thank you Ton-Ton for helping me," added Hinata as she stood up and smiled back to Shizune.

The older woman nodded and her smile widened just a little before she turned and pushed open the door to the mess hall. The second the heavy doors were opened, a wave of sound washed over the group as they navigated their way through the crowd to pick up their meal. The entire time she was also busy trying to spy out her other team member. It didn't take her long to see the shaggy head of Shikamaru and the always-hooded stranger.

Feeling a nudge from Shizune, Hinata nodded and followed her toward where the duo were currently sitting and eating their evening meal. Of course once Hinata had arrived, she and Shikamaru had moved away from the two adults. The adults didn't seem to mind though since they more then likely had their own conversation they wished to conduct in "private".

"You look better today," observed Hinata quietly as she went about slowly eating her meal.

Shikamaru laughed slightly at her greeting before taking a few quick bites of his food. It had been more then a little annoying for the Nara to deal with all of the formalities that used to be present in his friend. Now though she had loosened up around him and the others to the point that she acted like a normal kid, most of the time. She could still act formal but had finally figured out that there wasn't a need to be formal all of the time.

"Yeah well I think our friend is going to up my work tomorrow. He seems to take pleasure it pissing me off," mumbled Shikamaru finally as he looked up at Hinata's muffled giggles.

He huffed in indignation and started to pick at his food as he once again thought about what he had been told minutes ago about their return to Konoha.

While Shikamaru was sitting there thinking about what to do, Hinata noticed the signs of him being deep in thought. Of course it probably wouldn't take a genius to notice the signs of Shikamaru thinking about a subject.

"Is there something wrong Shikamaru-kun?" questioned Hinata softly.

Her questioned forced the Nara to jerk slightly and then look up into her eyes. The concern for him was clearly seen, as was the building concern of the one they had both wondered about since they had arrived. In the end it was that concern that ended up making up his mind.

"Hinata, I'm probably not supposed to tell you this but I think you should know," started Shikamaru before he went into what Obito had told him minutes ago. The entire time he never noticed the eye of his instructor focused on him from further down the table.

Further down the table Obito was eyeing his charge from beneath his hood. He didn't expect the boy to keep things a secret for too long. That was part of the reason he told him about their plans.

"So how did things go for you today," asked Shizune suddenly, and pulling Obito's attention back to her.

"Things went pretty well actually. Shikamaru is coming along quite nicely with his training. He may have thought that he got the short-end of the stick when we started, but I believe he knows the reason for it now. If he hadn't of gone through this training then he would probably be overpowered by some girl," stated Obito merrily as he started to dig into his food.

Shizune though lost all signs of being happy with the results of the training with the last thing said by her friend. In fact, if Obito wasn't focusing on his food, he might have seen a scowl on her face that promised immense pain in the future.

"I'll try not to be offended by that last remark," growled out someone as they sat down beside Shizune.

Obito nearly choked on his food as Tsunade sat down with a scowl on her face. Looking up he saw an identical scowl etched onto the face of Shizune as well. He unconsciously gulped as the Sannin seemed to restrain herself from slamming her tray down on the table and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I wasn't talking about you two! Honestly," pleaded Obito. If the table hadn't been in the way, he probably would have been down on his hands and knees begging for forgiveness.

"Cut it out, you're causing a scene," ordered Tsunade once she had felt the man had sweated enough.

Once Obito had settled back down she, and nearly everyone else in the mess hall, looked over to where a loud gleeful shout could be heard. Most were stunned when they saw the young white haired girl they had all become accustomed to leaning over the table with a death hug on her friend. Tsunade in particular quirked an eyebrow at the display before quickly narrowing her eyes.

"Shizune I thought you told me she was infatuated with Naruto," whispered Tsunade harshly to her apprentice.

"I thought she did Tsunade-sama," answered Shizune quickly as Tsunade seemed to tower over her.

"Then what the hell is going on over there."

"I don't know. Maybe s-she started to develop feelings for Shikamaru-kun while they were training."

"She better not break Naruto's hear or I might just break her legs and arms."

"NO! You can't do that Tsunade-sama! Naruto-kun wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone he may care about, even if it hurts him," said Shizune quickly, nearly shouting the first part. By now though Tsunade was no longer listening, and was instead focusing on the two Genin on the other end of the table.

"Um, I might be able to answer the question," said Obito finally. Both women turned to him and locked in on him with their eyes. That and the killing intent being pumped out by the angered women were more then enough to get him to continue.

"I might have told Shikamaru about when they might see Naruto again, and he probably just told her," answered Obito as he started to wave his hands in front of himself to stave off any blows from the duo.

Tsunade's eyes widened slightly in surprise before she took on the smile she normally used when trying to bluff someone. If that wasn't enough, she propped her chin up in her right hand while waving the left in front in dismissal.

"I knew that all along! She's just happy to know when she will see her beloved again," said Tsunade casually. Thanks to her closed eye smile she never noticed Shizune and Obito roll their eyes, or the sweat drops that developed.

"If you say so Tsunade-sama," muttered Shizune as she looked away from her master and back to her forgotten food.

With those final words a comfortable silence settled at the table, and the only sound that could be heard was the clicking of dinnerware. Every now and then one of the guards or soldiers would say something that caused the neighboring tables to break out in laughter. Everything seemed to be just fine with the world as stories of how the day went were exchanged and talk of the upcoming Chunin exam started up.

Some were even able to produce newsletters and scrolls that talked about the finals of the Chunin exams. One of the hottest topics though was how the last Uchiha was going to be fighting against the son of the Kazekage in the first round of the finals.

Others showed an interest in the fight between a Branch Member of the Hyuga clan by the name of Hyuga Neji. What made his fight so interesting though was the fact that he would be fighting his teammate, and up and coming Taijutsu expert, Rock Lee.

The exploits of their Sensei was well known, even here in the Capital. Just as the deeds of Hatake Kakashi had reached their ears and how he had two students fighting in the finals. The main one everyone talked about was of course Uchiha Sasuke. Some though showed an interest in the fight between Akimichi Choji and Temari of the Sand.

From the sounds of things it was easy to tell that this was one of the most anticipated Chunin Exams that had been held ever since Uchiha Itachi had competed. Of course talks of bets, odds, and other gambling terms did not go missed by Tsunade.

"Sounds like this Sasuke kid is favored to win the Exam this year," stated Tsunade with a hint of sorrow in her voice. Having been around her long enough, it was easy enough for Obito and Shizune to catch the slight change in her voice.

"A shame Naruto and the others couldn't be there to show them some real talent," added Tsunade before the others could question her. Shizune and Obito chuckled at her comment as they tried to ignore the money signs that had popped up in her eyes.

"I wish I could be there though," cut in Obito as he thought about his wayward nephew.

'_If only I had made it to Konoha in time, I could have prevented Mikoto-nee-chan from…'_

Obito shook his head to get rid of the disturbing thoughts that always seemed to pop up when he reflected of his family. Aside from making Rin believe he was dead, he had also had to fool his family. From what he had heard no one had been hurt more then his older sister, Mikoto.

"Don't worry about that. You should know we will be there for the exams. You just have to wait a few more days and we'll be heading out," soothed Shizune as she patted his hand.

"It still doesn't change how apprehensive I feel about finally going back to Konoha," added Obito as he thought about how much things may have changed, or the reactions of the people who knew him.

Tsunade could understand how he felt, as she felt something similar. She understood perfectly how Obito felt since she was going through something similar with Naruto. Despite having met him, she had yet to actually been able to talk to him one on one. She was partially worried about how he would react to her never coming to Konoha to check on him.

The more reasonable side of her knew that she wasn't to blame, and that Naruto would understand. After all she had been told that he was dead, and Naruto had been informed of that as well. Logic though could hardly put a dent in her self-doubt.

Before Tsunade and Obito could delve further into their pit of sorrow they were all thrown to the floor by a sudden shake of the Palace. The cries of the guards and soldiers outside could be heard all the way in the Mess Hall as the room quickly emptied.

_**

* * *

**_

Jiraiya 

'_Crap crap crap crap. Oh DAMN! Tsunade is going to kill me,'_ chanted Jiraiya as he rode on the back of Gamabunta and made their way towards the Palace. With him a top of the Toad Boss' head was a broken and bleeding Naruto. What really worried the Toad sage though was the severed limb that he held in his lap as they made their way to the Palace and Tsunade.

Things had started well that day, with Naruto finally managing to summon an actual toad, and not a tadpole. Of course it shocked Naruto and the Toad when they came face to face to see who was summoned, and who the summoner was. After spending weeks fighting him, Naruto had actually managed to summon one of the Seven Brothers.

From there Jiraiya had decided it was once again time for combat practice in hopes of honing Naruto's skills and to get him to awaken the second stage of his Alter. So of course Jiraiya had summoned the other six brothers to once again perform their deadly dance of steel.

By now Naruto had grown accustomed to their attacks, and was actually managing to avoid most of them. Not only did he avoid attacks, but he was starting to land several of his own attacks on the deadly amphibians. To Jiraiya that meant only one thing, it was time to kick it up a notch and add more opponents. Therefore, he summoned another small, but rather elite group of toads, the Battletoads.

These toads were probably the elite of the elite in the Toad Kingdom, at least when it came to the smaller denizens. Each of them was almost humanoid in appearance, and towered over Naruto by more then a few feet.

The first one of them stood an impressive 6'3 and had dark green skin with a light yellow chest and belly. Aside from his obviously massive hands and feet, he sported deadly looking spiked kneepads that looked deadly enough for Naruto to avoid.

The second one was bluish-green and had a similar light yellow chest and belly and stood 6'8. IIf his reach wasn't deadly enough already then his black gauntlets and spiked kneepads made things even deadlier.

The final one was the one that scared Naruto the most when he appeared. Never before had Naruto seen a person, humanoid that blocked the Sun out. With a large muscular frame and broad shoulders went a long way to intimidate the boy; of course it also helped that he towered over Naruto at 7'4. His skin was a tan color, bordering on brown, and like the others he had a light yellow belly and chest. Just as the others he also wore spiked kneepads, and to go with them was a set of spiked black braces.

With these three summoned to fight, things were not looking good for Naruto any more.

With the addition of the three new warriors, Naruto was quickly overwhelmed and batted around the little clearing like a child's play toy. Even with the bruises and obvious broken bones he would not stay down, despite the pleading look in the eyes of the gathered Toads. Everyone knew Naruto was beaten and couldn't do anything else, but he continued to fight and engage the Battletoads in fierce Taijutsu battles.

It was when he was engaged with the smallest of the Battletoads that tragedy struck.

Naruto was so busy focusing on his Taijutsu bout that he neglected to stay aware of the Seven Samurai Brothers. To be more exact, he failed to notice the one with the glaive moving in from behind him. He never noticed the Toad until he brought his weapon down and the toad he had been fighting jumped away.

Naruto couldn't react fast enough and put up a guard. Time seemed to slow down as the glaive cut into the top of his shoulder and slowly made its way down. Jiraiya and the toads watched in astonishment as the weapon finally succeeded in cleaving Naruto's right arm off at the shoulder. The toad dropped his weapon quickly as it realized what it had done. Silence settled in as everyone came to terms with what had just happened.

Seconds later though Naruto screamed out in pain as his body registered just what had happened to it. He collapsed to the ground and clutched at where his severed limb used to be. His cries of pain only increased as he started to role on the ground as blood continued to pump from his shoulder.

'_Damn it I am so dead,'_ decided Jiraiya as he stopped reflecting on just what had happened.

He let out a soft sigh though as Gamabunta landed outside of the Palace, and he quickly jumped off with Naruto and the arm. Already the courtyard was filling up with Soldiers, guards, and anyone else who could wield a weapon to battle what ever the threat may have been. With them of course was the person that Jiraiya had been hoping to find, and also the two that he had wanted to avoid.

"Tsunade we need to get him inside NOW!" screamed Jiraiya as he ran towards the Slug Sannin and then past her. He had only slowed just enough for her to catch a glimpse of what he held in his arms.

All those present gasped as they saw the blood trail that followed Jiraiya inside the Palace. The Shinobi quickly gave chase though when they caught sight of just what was being held by the white-haired man. The only thing stopping Shikamaru and Hinata from following their friend into the Palace was the interference of their trainers.

"LET ME IN," yelled Hinata as she started to become frantic.

She easily saw what Jiraiya held and had started to panic the second realization dawned on her. If she could have she would have easily gone into the Palace with Tsunade to check on the one person who probably meant more to her then her own family.

"No, stay here and let them work in peace," countered Obito as he stood firm in their path.

"That's our friend in there," countered Shikamaru as he stepped up beside Hinata to try to push past the cloaked man.

"Yes I realize that. What you need to realize though is that you would only get in their way and hinder his treatment," cut Obito. "As we speak you are keeping him from the best help he could get. Shizune-chan could be in there right now assisting and gathering anything Tsunade-sama might need. Instead Jiraiya-sama is performing her duties, and she is standing here with me keeping you out," added Obito harshly.

It seemed that Shikamaru understood what was being said, but Hinata wasn't going to let things be settled with just that. She rushed forward to try to push past the would be guards and was quickly pushed back by Obito.

"Don't you understand, the more you act like this the less chance he has of ever having a Shinobi career," snapped Obito as Hinata took a fighting stance. Obito looked to Shizune who nodded her head. Before anyone could blink Obito has vanished from sight.

Shikamaru and Hinata were looking for the cloaked man, but saw no sign of him anywhere. It wasn't until Shikamaru looked towards Hinata again that he noticed Obito appear behind her. Before he could shout a warning though the man had subdued the Hyuga and rendered her unconscious.

"Shizune get in there and I will take care of them," snapped Obito as he slung Hinata over his shoulder.

_**

* * *

**_

Tsunade 

'_Blood… So much blood,'_ thought Tsunade as she finally saw Naruto's prone form.

She had followed Jiraiya in knowing something was wrong with Naruto, but she could didn't get a good look at what had happened. Now that she could though all she could see was red.

"Damn it Tsunade now isn't the time," yelled Jiraiya as he tried to shake his old friend out of her fear induced state of shock.

He had hoped this wouldn't happen when he showed up. He had hoped that she had gotten over her phobia, but it seems after all this time she still held onto it. It was not what Naruto needed at the moment. He had lost far too much blood for Jiraiya's liking and any longer and it might not be possible to save the boy.

Just as he was about to yell at her again Shizune came rushing into the room. She froze at first when she saw Naruto and his severed arm, but then quickly snapped out of it and rushed to his side.

"How long as it been since the limb was severed," asked Shizune as her hand started to glow green.

"No more then fifteen minutes," answered Jiraiya solemnly as he looked at Tsunade shaking like a leaf in the wind. Shizune continued trying to stop the loss of blood, giving that a number one priority at the time. Once she got that under control she would be able to focus more on the arm.

"Tsunade, the boy you thought you lost years ago isn't far from actually dieing NOW! If you don't get off your ass and do something he may very well die right here in front of you," shouted Jiraiya as he stormed over to his teammate and started to shake her.

"NO," yelled the woman as she pushed him away and frantically backed away until she was backed into a corner.

"There's something going on here," declared Shizune as she starter to back away from Naruto who was starting to move.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh," screamed Naruto as he clutched his shoulder and sat up straight on the bed he had been placed on.

"This isn't good, his chakra is fluctuating wildly," yelled Shizune as Naruto started to scream louder.

"Not just that but I can feel Kyubi's chakra in all of this," added Jiraiya.

'_I just hope the bastard is healing him like he has been. Then again maybe asking it to heal an entire limb is too much,'_ thought Jiraiya as he watched Naruto.

Tsunade sat on the ground watching Naruto writhe in pain. His cries were echoing through her mind as he rocked and flipped around on the bed. Images of her brother flashed before her eyes and superimposed themselves over Naruto.

Soon images of Shizune's uncle, Dan, started to race across her mind as she remembered him dieing as she worked on him. Seeing his bloody body once again caused her to hug herself and rock back and forth as tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"Damn you ERO-SENNIN," yelled Naruto as he started to grind his teeth to keep from screaming in pain.

As he did this though a strange light started to form around where Naruto's right arm should have been. At the same time a similar light started to encase his severed limb and slowly eat away at it. Naruto's will lost out as he let out a bone chilling scream as the light exploded and sent the two Sannin and the apprentice flying into the wall. Seconds later a loud crash could be heard, and was soon followed by a pained grunt.

"That's for making me lose an arm you damn pervert," yelled Naruto. The light that had blinded everyone slowly started to clear up. Shizune was probably the first who could see again, and gasped at what she saw.

There stood Naruto with wisps of smoke circling around him as he clenched his fist and shook it at a hole in the wall. Through the hole Shizune could see Jiraiya crumbled over with an obviously broken jaw and straining to try to stand.

What really caused her to stare though was the fact that Naruto was clenching his right armor encased fist. A fist that by all means shouldn't have been there. Looking around she couldn't even see the arm that had been severed, but she could see several pock marks eaten out of the ground.

"N-Naruto," croaked Tsunade as she looked at him with his Alter activated for the very first time.

"Don't worry Baa-chan, nothing can keep me down," declared Naruto as he smiled at the blonde-haired woman. Tsunade just watched on and once again saw her loved ones superimpose themselves over Naruto.

'_Arashi he is so much like you… Dan, Nawaki, are you watching him? Kanami-chan do you see your what kind of man your son has grown into,'_ thought Tsunade as Naruto moved to pummel Jiraiya.

_**

* * *

**_

Obito 

Obito sat in a room with Hinata and Shikamaru. The former was busy glaring at the cloaked man as he played a game of cards with her dark-haired teammate.

"You need to trust me Hinata. You were being irrational back there and I did what I had to do to make sure Naruto survived," stated Obito as he shuffled the deck of cards.

Hinata just sat there as she tried to keep the tears from her eyes. She knew he was right, now. She had been acting foolish earlier and let her emotions get the best of her. She had been so worried about Naruto and trying to see him that she had stalled treatment for him because of her own childish whims.

"From now on when one of your Senseis says they know best, trust us," added Obito as he scowled at his cards from beneath his hood.

"How the hell do you keep on winning," asked the man as he threw his cards down and looked at Shikamaru evenly. The only answer he got was a yawn as the Nara stretched and leaned back.

"How about you bet another thirty and I might just tell you," added the boy finally with a barely concealed smirk.

"Fine," agreed Obito as he started to shuffle and deal again.

It was right about now that they felt the surge of chakra from the other side of the Palace, and then felt it drop suddenly. All three tensed slightly before finally relaxing as they each realized that there was little they could do from there. It wasn't really that they didn't want to check it out, but that they knew they would have to wait things out.

"Well you can count on a few things happening with these current events," muttered Obito as he lost another game to Shikamaru. The two Genin looked towards him and asked the question that was on their mind with a simple look.

"Well, you know that schedule I told you about before."

Shikamaru and Hinata both nodded their heads.

"With this happening, the bulk of Naruto's training with Jiraiya-sama is finished. That means that me and you won't be seeing any more of each other Shika-chan," answered Obito as he threw down his newest hand of cards.

"It isn't like I'm going to miss you or anything," muttered Shikamaru as he pulled his newest pile of money to him.

"You wound me with your harsh words," declared Obito dramatically as he grabbed where his heart would be and acted wounded.

"Just shut up and tell us already," snapped the Nara finally, having enough of the games that the man always seemed to enjoy.

"Fine," said Obito as he started to stand and reached towards the hood of his cloak.

Hinata and Shikamaru watched closely as the gloved hands reached up and started to remove his hood. The same hood that always seemed to defy gravity when he was running, jumping, or just playing around. The same hood that always seemed to hide every feature of his face, and only allowed tuffs of black hair to be seen.

The two things that stuck out to them when the hood was lowered wasn't his face. It wasn't his hair. Nor was it some scar. What stuck out to the two Genin was the right eye with a three Tomoe Sharingan and the black eye patch that covered his left eye.

_**

* * *

**_

Naruto 

The rest of the time spent in the Capital flew by for the three members of Team 10. True to what Obito said, they continued training for one more week after that night. With the exception of the day Naruto spent being poked and prodded by Shizune and Tsunade as they scanned his newly regenerated right arm. Jiraiya also spent some time checking the seal on Naruto to make sure everything was indeed fine.

After that Jiraiya had spent the remainder of their time in the capital under the tender care of the local hospital once Tsunade finally came to terms what had happened to Naruto. After sending the Gama-Sannin to the hospital, she spent her days and nights tucked away in dark secluded corners trying to drown her sorrows in liquor. She hardly slept due to a reoccurring nightmare of watching Naruto die right there in her arms, and she did nothing to help save him.

Shizune and Obito took charge of the training of the three Genin due to the two Sennin being preoccupied.

When Naruto was asked late at night what he had done for training with Obito, he would never say. He kept those events a closely guarded secret, one that would probably never be revealed until he had to complete his mission.

Hinata had spent more time training with Shizune, and when she could, she tried to catch up with Naruto. She was appalled at the training regime used by Jiraiya, and wasn't sure which one of them she should beat the crap out of him for. From placing Naruto in a situation where he could have drowned, or where he constantly fought for his life against multiple enemies who were obviously not pulling any punches.

Despite that though the pay off from that training was easily seen with the way he carried himself. He once again stood straighter, and this time he held himself in a way that said he knew what he was doing. To a trained Shinobi it would be a look that said mess with me at your own risk.

Her training hadn't been for anything either though, as Naruto pointed out. A number of young Kunoichi started off their career thinking they needed to diet to lose weight. The more realistic ones knew that regular training would more then take care of whatever weight problem they might have had. This was shown in Hinata when she decided to walk around without her original baggy jacket on.

Her slim petite frame offered her a great deal of flexibility, agility, and speed. A deadly combination for a Kunoichi, a Hyuga, and a person dabbling in the arts of poison. Thanks to the training she had undergone, she could now kick you from just about any angle, and would be able to kick you in any part of the body. Should you try to sneak up on her, you would likely find a very unwelcome surprise waiting for you.

Shikamaru's body too had filled out more due to his training. Instead of the slightly chunky boy, you now had a more muscular Nara. It wasn't over exaggerated, but for him it was a big improvement. For any Genin their age it might have been considered a great physique to have. Most of the baby fat that had been on him was worked out and allowed his more defined features to become noticeable.

Had anyone from Konoha saw him, they would probably mistake him as his father, without the scar.

Together the three probably made up one of the fittest teams of their age group, which was saying something since they were fresh Genin who had worked themselves to the bone since Graduation.

Right now they were standing with Jiraiya, Shizune, Tsunade, and Obito. All of them were waiting for the Daimyo's travel party to gather so that they could disembark for Konoha.

"I can't wait to get back home," said Naruto happily as he tried to blow some hair out of his face.

It annoyed him to no end that Jiraiya would never let him cut his hair. After seeing the reason why though, he was more then glad to let it grow out some to make it a better weapon.

"Just wait a few more minutes brat. You can't rush the Daimyo of the country you serve," pointed out Jiraiya as he tried to keep from tapping his foot impatiently.

He may know that you can't rush a Daimyo, but it didn't change the fact that he was used to moving around when he wanted to move. After living with the freedom he was used to enjoying, it made it hard to try to look regal and diplomatic.

'_Hehe, I guess I can't blame the kid though. He was never exposed to this type of event, so this is probably killing him,'_ mused Jiraiya as he watched Naruto start to bounce on the balls of his feet.

After another thirty minutes a carriage finally arrived with several dark clothed figures with their faces covered. With a nod from the one driving the carriage, an order was yelled out throughout the line and the procession finally started to make its way down from the mountaintop.

_**

* * *

**_

The Daimyo's group was two days into their trip when the head of the Daimyo's guard called for Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata. When they had arrived at the tent they were surprised to see Ayame and Rikimaru inside waiting for them.

"Good, I think its about time you three started to earn your keep," stated Rikimaru as he nodded to Ayame, who closed the flap to the tent.

"You three will be acting as our scouts, and first line of defense should you happen upon any unsightly fellows. Should you come across anyone or anything that may cause trouble, you are to dispose of it and be sure to keep all that transpired there a secret. Cover up anything you do so that no signs are left behind," ordered Rikimaru as he moved to the other side of the tent and pulled out several packs.

Ayame met him halfway and took the packs off his hands and handed them to each of the Genin.

"These packs are your supplies that you would normally have for such a mission. You will find everything in there is authentic, and all of your original equipment, straight from your house," answered Ayame as the three looked at the packs strangely.

"Well you have your mission. You have five minutes to get ready and head out. You will stay out on patrol until someone relieves you or you come across something too big for you to handle," finished the Azuma Shinobi before turning away from them and heading to a table in the middle of the tent.

Ayame waited until the Genin were out of the tent before she turned to look at the man who had raised her. She could understand the need for the scouting party, but why send three rookies out when there were reports of enemy movements?

"Rikimaru, I know we need this, but don't you think that you should have sent at least Jiraiya-sama with them? At least you could have sent Obito with them," asked Ayame as she moved to stand beside the one-eyed man.

Rikimaru didn't say anything as he carefully observed a map lying on the table. Mark on it was the Daimyo's party, and two other such marks were shown coming in from the southwest of Konoha, and another from the northwest of Konoha. The one from the southwest was colored in a light green, and the one from the northwest a dark brown.

"I believe it was needed Ayame. They are trained for this sort of situation, and should be able to handle themselves. Do not think I've sent them to their death, since Jiraiya-sama will be shadowing them just in case they come across something they can't handle," answered Rikimaru finally.

"The Kazekage's caravan and the Tsuchikage's caravan are to the north and south of us at the moment. Should we continue on schedule though we should all arrive in Konoha about the same time," added Rikimaru off hand as he continued observing the map. Ayame's eyes flew open though at the news of the Tsuchikage's party being near by.

She knew of Naruto's history and the events that surrounded it. She also knew of the anger and hate that Naruto seemed to harbor towards that country for what it had caused.

"You did this on purpose! You want the Tsuchikage to see him don't you," questioned Ayame, trying to restrain her anger.

"And if I did."

Ayame glared at the man's back and tried to fight the urge to kill him that was slowly rising. Should the Tsuchikage or any older Iwa Shinobi ever see Naruto there would be no mistake of who he was.

"You may have just sent him to his death," snapped Ayame finally as she spun the older man around, only to stop when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"No, they won't kill him, but it will make them think twice about their plans. I think it is time you heard more about the reasons for Naruto and his team coming to train with us Ayame. Shortly before they were sent to us, someone in Jiraiya's spy network came about information of an invasion. This invasion was going to be done by three different villages," answered Rikimaru finally as he continued to lock eyes with his friend.

Ayame was somewhat stunned at the news. She normally handled any information that came into the capital, and had never seen any such intelligence come in. At the same time though her anger was rising for not being told of this sooner, and only now being told on the dawn of what might be one of the greatest attacks on Konoha since the Shinobi Wars and Kyubi.

"Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Otogakure. Those three villages are going to attack Konoha. Otogakure will be leading the attack with Orochimaru in the lead. Their plan is to completely level Konoha, and all of those who stand in their way. Had it been but two villages the likely hood of success would have been slim. With three villages though and Orochimaru feeding the information to them things become somewhat grimmer," continued Rikimaru as he saw Ayame's building emotions.

"Then why send Naruto and his team out there when Iwa would do anything to kill him! They've already removed their disguises, so he would be easily recognized and probably hunted down to the ends of the Earth."

"Perhaps Ayame, but should he do as I believe he will, he could also cause the Shinobi of Iwa to falter. Even if he is revealed to them now, it will have an impact of the forces of Iwa. The blood of the one they feared is still present in Konoha, and has more then a few bones to pick with them. I don't think he can take on their entire army, but should push come to shove he would fight them to the death," stated Rikimaru before he turned away from Ayame and started to exit the tent.

Ayame clenched her teeth at the dismissal she was being given, and knew she wouldn't get anything else out of the man now. He had moved into complete Shinobi mode, and questioning anything right now would not turn up any new information. It was the same way he got every time he focused on an objective.

"Damn you Rikimaru."

_**

* * *

A/n:**_

It's been a while, and again sorry about that. I had hoped to have this out before New Year's, and obviously things didn't go the way I planned. I have a nasty habit of letting life get in the way

Think of Soifon/ Yoruichi from _Bleach_ for the way Hinata's new clothes look like. I suck at describing clothes, so this is the best I can do for you atm.

I changed the way I was going to handle the Chunin exams somewhat, and decided on taking somewhat of a different approach. I won't be covering what happened in Konoha during the time Team 10 was absent. The most I will do is flashbacks, or have characters reflect on events that occurred.


	11. Shadows of the Past

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of _Naruto_, s-_CRY-ed_, or _Tenchu_. I only use them for writing this story.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

_**A/N:**_ It has been some time, and I'm sorry about that. As I stated in "Life of Uzumaki Naruto", I suck at multitasking.

_**Previously**_

* * *

Ayame glared at the man's back and tried to fight the urge to kill him that was slowly rising. Should the Tsuchikage or any older Iwa Shinobi ever see Naruto there would be no mistake of who he was.

"You may have just sent him to his death," snapped Ayame finally as she spun the older man around, only to stop when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"No, they won't kill him, but it will make them think twice about their plans. I think it is time you heard more about the reasons for Naruto and his team coming to train with us Ayame. Shortly before they were sent to us, someone in Jiraiya's spy network came about information of an invasion. This invasion was going to be done by three different villages," answered Rikimaru finally as he continued to lock eyes with his friend.

Ayame was somewhat stunned at the news. She normally handled any information that came into the capital, and had never seen any such intelligence come in. At the same time though her anger was rising for not being told of this sooner, and only now being told on the dawn of what might be one of the greatest attacks on Konoha since the Shinobi Wars and Kyubi.

"Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Otogakure. Those three villages are going to attack Konoha. Otogakure will be leading the attack with Orochimaru in the lead. Their plan is to completely level Konoha, and all of those who stand in their way. Had it been but two villages the likely hood of success would have been slim. With three villages though and Orochimaru feeding the information to them things become somewhat grimmer," continued Rikimaru as he saw Ayame's building emotions.

"Then why send Naruto and his team out there when Iwa would do anything to kill him! They've already removed their disguises, so he would be easily recognized and probably hunted down to the ends of the Earth."

"Perhaps Ayame, but should he do as I believe he will, he could also cause the Shinobi of Iwa to falter. Even if he is revealed to them now, it will have an impact of the forces of Iwa. The blood of the one they feared is still present in Konoha, and has more then a few bones to pick with them. I don't think he can take on their entire army, but should push come to shove he would fight them to the death," stated Rikimaru before he turned away from Ayame and started to exit the tent.

Ayame clenched her teeth at the dismissal she was being given, and knew she wouldn't get anything else out of the man now. He had moved into complete Shinobi mode, and questioning anything right now would not turn up any new information. It was the same way he got every time he focused on an objective.

"Damn you Rikimaru."

* * *

_**Shadows of the Past**_

"Tree, another tree, more trees, another tree, and another god damn tree! Why the hell do we have so many trees for a country named Land of Fire?" questioned Naruto as he started to grow agitated with the lack of action.

After having spent the last month fighting for his life, who could blame him for being bored?

"Just calm down Naruto, we're scouts, so being quiet is one of the things we have to do," chided Shikamaru slightly.

'_I have to admit though, I was kind of hoping for something more from this. Maybe the occasional bandit or something,'_ thought Shikamaru as he tried to keep his face neutral.

"It will be night soon Shika-kun," stated Hinata as she glanced around with her Byakugan activated.

The Nara just nodded his head, eager to be done with the boring day of jumping through trees. He could hardly believe how annoyed he was with trees, being from Konoha. Though he would admit was better then walking in circles for hours on end.

"Alright, find us a place to bed down Hinata," ordered Shikamaru as he made up his mind.

Hearing the order, the Hyuga easily spied a suitable resting place for the night and moved the group towards it. Once there setting up camp was as simple as unrolling a few scrolls and unsealing the items within. No fire was started of course since they didn't want to give away their position. At the same time they made sure to hide their tent within the bushes and other flora of Konoha to keep those hidden from sight as well.

It was when they had gathered in the tent that they really bothered to talk openly.

"We are just a day away from Konoha now, with the Daimyo and others a day and a half away," stated Shikamaru as he unfolded a map and pointed out the rough locations of everyone involved.

"In the morning we'll head out early and patrol the northern sector of our area and see what we can find. If we don't find anything then we head back to the main group and turn in our finding," added the Nara as he detailed their next course of action.

"Hey Shika, I could send out some clones to cover the other sectors. I mean that way we can be sure not to miss anything, and if they find something they can dispel and I'll know," commented Naruto as he looked over the area they were given to look over.

"Alright, but send them out in groups of three, with one in each group disguised as Hinata and me," agreed Shikamaru as he looked at his friend.

After that was settled, they had a brief cold dinner and prepared for bed. It would be best for them to sleep early, and then wake before the sun rises. With that in mind they set up a watch schedule and those not on watch would turn in for the night.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

In Konoha, Anko was busy drinking up a storm as she remembered coming across her beloved former-sensei. She knew she didn't stand a chance against the man in a fight, and yet she willing went after him.

'_Why? Why did I try to fight him knowing I could have been killed? WHY THE HELL DID I TRY TO USE A KAMIKAZE ATTACK?'_ yelled Anko silently as she slammed her saucer on the table.

Ever since her encounter with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death she had been reflecting at how easily she tried to throw away her life. It hurt her knowing that she had easily given up her life just for a taste of revenge. That she had given up on Naruto and her newfound life with him to try to settle something from her past.

'_I can't believe I nearly killed myself and nearly left Otouto and Rin,'_ cried Anko as she slumped in her stool and against the bar.

It was bad enough that Rin had torn into her when she found out about her reckless actions. It wasn't long before someone else got word of what she did. Someone she found herself slowly being attracted to the more she spent time around him.

'_Hehe, I don't think I've ever seen that fool act so emotional except when Haku fainted suddenly,'_ mused Anko as she thought of the man who found a chink in her armor.

"Anko-san," said a voice from behind the snake charmer at the bar.

Turning around slowly, Anko came face to face with one of the people she had just been thinking about. The young woman had truly started to change once she became situated in Konoha. Not only had she been allowed to get in touch with her feminine side, but she had also started turning more then a few heads. Of course that only made Zabuza wish she stayed hidden the same with her goofy "brothers".

"What Haku," mumbled Anko as she turned her bottle of Sake upside down and frowned.

"Zabuza was worried about you and so was I… Why don't you come on home? Surely drinking away your sorrows isn't good for you, and I'm sure Naruto-kun wouldn't like to see you like this," pleaded Haku as she watched the woman motion for another round.

Anko just snorted at the young Kunoichi and frowned down at her shaking hands. After Orochimaru left her, and then her family died drinking was the only way to drown her sorrows when she was in Konoha. Sure there were other stories about what she did for a good time, but that was all those ended up being, rumors started by people who hated her.

When Naruto had come into her life she felt like she had been reborn anew. With him gone though she seemed to fall in on herself and isolated herself from the few friends she had in Konoha.

"Don't tell me what to do Haku. I'm a big Kunoichi and I'll come home when I want to," stated the woman as she brought her latest bottle of alcohol to her lips.

Haku frowned at the older woman in distaste. This wasn't the same woman who seemed to have caught Zabuza's attention. It was hardly the same one she remembered from a little over a month ago. This was a person who let herself stay beaten after a battle and didn't fight back to regain her bearings in life.

"I must insist that you come home," firmly stated Haku again as she crossed her arms and glared at the back of Anko.

"And what will you do if I don't come with you Ice Queen? Huh? You gonna freeze me? How about numbing me with a needle? Better yet don't bother numbing me, just shove it right through my heart," asked Anko drunkenly.

The ice user sighed and frowned again as she realized this wasn't going to be easy.

"I hope Naruto-kun forgives me for this," whispered Haku as she rushed towards the drunken woman and did just as she had asked.

Using a few quick strikes, she effectively knocked Anko out and quickly caught her before she collapsed on the bar. Rifling through her pocket she quickly laid enough money down to cover Anko's bill and hefted her over her shoulders.

To many it was a strange sight to see the young attractive Haku walking down the streets in a kimono with Anko's slumped form resting over her shoulders.

"I wish Lee-kun was here to help," mumbled the female alter user as she adjusted the weight on her shoulders.

* * *

_**Team 10**_

After he was relieved of his watch by Hinata, Naruto spent the night looking at the top of the tent. Sleep had been fleeting for him since they set up camp, and even after being up all day he could hardly sleep. Since misery loves company, he decided to nudge Shikamaru awake.

"Quit it already Naruto, I'm already awake," snapped the Nara as softly as possible.

"I guess you couldn't sleep too," asked Naruto as he shifted slightly to look at his friend.

Shikamaru just grunted at the obvious question and shuffled around some to try to look at his team mate. His agitation at being awake could be heard as he mumbled and muttered the entire time.

"I just can't sleep Shikamaru with everything that is going to be going on when we get back to Konoha," admitted Naruto as he looked at seemed to be Shikamaru.

The other boy just nodded in understanding. In truth he felt the same way. Knowing what was being expected of them, and what they were likely going to walk into… It seemed like too much to expect a few fresh Genin to do. More so when they were pretty much the misfits of their class.

"Trust me Naruto; you aren't the only one who feels that way. While we were training Hinata and I felt the same. We knew that we had to be prepared for anything and everything that we might come across. Now that we are on our way back we just have to hope that what we learned will prepare us for what is to come."

Naruto smiled slightly at his friend. Even though they had only just become real friends, after hardly speaking in the Academy, he felt he could trust him. So far Shikamaru had proven himself to be a capable and helpful friend when he was needed. Most of all, he had a different way of thinking about things.

"Yeah… Though what I'm mainly worried about is something else Shika… Did you know that there was going to be an Iwa Genin in the finals?" asked Naruto.

Shikamaru started at that question. If there was a representative of Iwagakure in the finals of the Chunin exams that would mean…

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly," stated Naruto when he saw the realization cross Shikamaru's face.

"Guess which sector of Fire Country we are patrolling," added Naruto finally and smiled sadly when he noticed Shikamaru flinch at that realization.

"Damn… Rikimaru had to have known this would happen. Right now we aren't far from where the Iwagakure caravan would pass through to get to Konoha. That means we are probably going to come across them soon," formulated Shikamaru.

"I figured we send a few Kage Bunshins back to report to Rikimaru," offered Naruto.

Shikamaru nodded his head at the idea and absently looked out the front flap of the tent to see Hinata coming in as silently as a mouse. Upon seeing her teammates still awake she smiled and nodded towards them before sitting down.

"We have about another hour and a half before daybreak. I was just coming in to wake you two up," answered Hinata as the two looked towards her.

With that said, the trio started to quick process of packing their belongings and resealing everything inside of the scroll used by Naruto. Minutes later you could hardly tell someone had used the small area for a campsite. Once the packing was done, and a quick breakfast consumed, Shikamaru explained the revelations they recently had to Hinata.

Needless to say she was as shocked as Shikamaru had been.

"I'll try to keep my Byakugan on as long as possible to try to spot them before they spot us," answered Hinata right away once she heard the news.

With that decided Naruto created a swarm of Kage Bunshin and had them split into groups of three. Two of the clones in each group changed into Hinata or Shikamaru before the groups headed out on patrol.

With that done the real Team 10 moved out towards the direction they had agreed upon the night before. Each of them knowing what they would now likely come across.

Not far from Team 10 under his secret jutsu sat Jiraiya watching the trio as the headed out.

"So that is what you had in mind by sending them here Rikimaru. How shrewd of you, if I must say. I suppose I should catch up to the brats and let them in on the plan. Who knows maybe I can get Naruto to really scare the crap out of the Tsuchikage," mused Jiraiya as he watched the group blend into the trees and fade into the distance.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

Konoha was a bee-hive of activity as everyone prepared for the Chunin exams. Shops, stalls, and venders were busy hocking their goods and calling attention to their stores. Shinobi from Suna, Konoha, and Iwa could be seen walking the streets, with fewer Iwa and Suna Shinobi actually present.

Children played, bets were made, and trouble was afoot.

Today the trouble just happened to come from Konohamaru and mini Team 10.

Since Naruto and his team had left to go training many who knew them had noticed the lull that Konoha had fallen into. None noticed this more then the Konohamaru Corps and the victims of the raids performed by Team 10.

Of course with the Chunin Exams going on the other Rookie Teams would hardly notice; unless they happened to be Choji or a pissed off Ino.

Currently though the Konohamaru Corps was busy running from some of the said people. After having taken up the role of surprising the other teams, the young trio had run into some trouble. One such example would be when Konohamaru dared to use his early version of the "_**Oiroke no Jutsu"**_ to imitate Ino and her namesake.

Needless to say the Yamanaka was not thrilled to see a fat version of her straining to stay inside of her current outfit. It didn't help that Kiba laughed his ass off at the sight as well. Of course Sasuke being there along with Sakura and Choji didn't help much either.

When the young Sarutobi had done something similar with Sakura, he had run into similar results. To many it seemed he had adopted Naruto's prankster instinct and when he made a nude female version of Kiba it became official. That didn't mean his two friends sat by idle though.

Moegi did what she could to make sure the onsen of Konoha were never safe for the young Kunoichi. From stealing their garments, to putting dye in the water, she made sure they were prepared at all times for trouble.

Udon was often put in command of ensuring that they had an escape route when they were caught; which happened more often then not. His trap making skills had made more then a few people upset as they had to dodge some of the strangest objects. Enough so that Kiba had commented about the boy throwing everything but the kitchen sink at his team. Only to get hit with said item seconds later from behind.

So far though the only team they had left alone was the one team that nearly destroyed Team 10. That team of course was the team of Neji, Lee, and Tenten. While Lee and Tenten would have welcomed a change from the daily grind and something to lighten the mood; everyone knew that Neji frowned upon such things and made sure to punish those who he felt needed it.

Currently though the young trio were grouped together in their "clubhouse", which was also known as Ichiraku Ramen to many.

"Man I wish Nii-san would get back already," shouted Konohamaru as he yelled at the ceiling of the ramen stand and flailed his arms.

Ichiraku Teuchi and Ayame just laughed at the antics of the young boy. It was fun having them around and almost felt like having another young Naruto hanging around the stand. It of course helped that every time they had a little "meeting" that they would enjoy a bowl or two of ramen.

"Naruto-kun will be back soon Konohamaru. After all he did promise us he would be back for the Chunin Exam finals," chided Ayame gently as she smiled at the Sarutobi.

"He knows Nee-san, but he misses Naruto-Nii-san a lot," quietly said Moegi as she picked at her bowl of ramen.

"Yeah… Besides we just can't keep up and do the things they do," mumbled Konohamaru as he hung his head in defeat.

It had become hard to come up with something new to catch Teams 7 and 8 by surprise. Of course it didn't stop them from trying their best to do something. That though still didn't keep their spirits from falling with each failed attempt.

"Well then I'm sure you three would like to know they are on their way here," stated a voice the three weren't familiar with.

Anyone watching would have laughed as the necks of the children snapped so fast you'd be worried about neck injury. Rin though just grinned down at the three juveniles and moved to have a seat at the end of the little bar. She made an order for ramen and continued to sit there in silence while the three begged her with their eyes to tell them what she meant.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU," snapped Konohamaru finally as he jumped on his stole and stood pointing an accusing finger at Rin.

The woman just glanced at the boy and then laughed at his expression. This only caused the Sarutobi to pout and frown again as he started to tremble at being laughed at. Laughing at the boy always pissed him off when he was trying to be serious.

"QUIT LAUGHING AT ME YOU," started Konohamaru before a glare from Rin shut him up and made him flop down in his seat.

"If you ever call me such a thing I will make sure you eat your next meal through a straw," growled Rin as her eyes changed briefly. Unnoticed by all but Ayame, the hair of the back of Rin's necks also stood up slightly, almost like an angered cat.

"He won't say anything else," answered Moegi quickly as she covered Konohamaru's mouth.

"Good, or else I'd have to teach the little one a lesson. Either way though, I suppose I do owe you an answer," said Rin finally while watching the trio out of the corner of her eye.

"Naruto-kun had to go away for special training, which you already know. What you didn't know is that he was set to return before the Chunin exams start, roughly a day or so before then. So if all things go as planned he should be here within the next day or two," answered Rin while thanking Ayame for the noodles and slowly enjoying them.

While excited, the trio still didn't know this woman's relationship with their idols. After seeing how many treated Naruto, and behaved when they mimicked them, they were of course a little cautious.

"And who might you be?" asked Udon while sniffling and trying to keep his runny nose from spilling over. Rin gave a small smile, showing off one of her incisors and slightly scaring the sickly boy.

I'm just one of his sisters, Rin," answered the woman while smiling at the shocked look on all of the faces.

It wasn't long though before the shock wore off Konohamaru and he was standing on his stole again shaking angrily while pointing at Rin. He tried several times to say something but it always came out garbled. Finally he seemed to gather his wits before shouting out.

"Why does Nii-san have such freaky sisters!"

* * *

_**Team 10**_

When Jiraiya sets his mind to something, not much can stand in his way. So when he decided to catch up to the Genin of Team 10, it didn't take him too long. The only thing that did cause him a little trouble was having to explain WHY he was following them, and just why he decided to reveal himself when he did. That though wasn't so hard once Shikamaru halted Naruto and reminded him about the revelation they had earlier that morning.

"So you want to accompany us and at the same time you want US to escort the Tsuchikage's group to Konoha," questioned Naruto.

He sounded skeptical and who could blame him? Finding out about his family, his heritage, and perhaps one of the reasons his mothered died giving birth to him was bound to do that. More so when he was being asked to PROTECT one of the very people who was responsible for all of it.

"I know what you must be thinking Naruto but now is not the time for personal feelings to get in the way," answered Jiraiya.

Hinata was already beside the blond and had a hand on his shoulder. She imagined that if she were placed in a similar situation with Kumo she would be just as skeptical of being kind to them. For Naruto though he was the one to figure out the entire thing with the Iwa caravan coming this way. He had no intention of confronting the people or anything of that nature.

What they had originally planned to do was just watch the group from a distance. At most it was just so Naruto could meet the person who he hated more then anyone else in the world, with a few minor exceptions of course. Now though Jiraiya had thrown a monkey wrench in that plan.

"Listen Naruto there is a reason for us doing this, something that the security of the village may depend upon," stated Jiraiya gravely as he played one of the few cards that could get Naruto's attention.

The tone and underlying threat wasn't missed by anyone present. The current task at hand seemed to be important enough to the Village safety that all other things had to be ignored. Just as Naruto's ongoing mission was from the Daimyo.

"Fine, then what to you propose Ero-Sennin," relented Naruto finally as he looked to the Toad Sage for guidance.

Behind him and beside him Shikamaru and Hinata nodded in agreement with Naruto and eagerly awaited what the man would have them do. From the smile on his face they could tell it was going to be something he would take great pleasure in.

* * *

_**Tsuchikage**_

Not far away a man sitting in a small carriage sneezed as he poked his head out of a small window. He observed his men, Samurai and Shinobi, as they walked down the trade road that would eventually bring them to Konoha.

This was nothing but a precursor to what he and others wished to do, and that was to bring Konoha down. It seemed odd that perhaps Konoha's own transportation system, nice roads, might help in defeating this enemy he has hated for nearly three decades. After all, as long as he could remember Iwa has been at odds with Konoha. Even in times of peace Iwa would take any chance to indirectly or subtlety sabotage something related to Konoha.

Now though they wouldn't have to work in the shadows. Now they would be able to strike Konoha and bring about the destruction that had many chomping at the bit to attack Konoha.

'_This time I will finish what was started in the last Great War,'_ thought the man as he rubbed a scar that ran from the top of his forehead through his right eye and down to the tip of his chin.

'_And if those two bitches are still alive they will make for pleasant toys for my men,'_ added the man as he remembered the two Kunoichi who had killed some of his most trusted men.

"I got the last laugh though. They could do nothing to protect their charge or what she held," said the man softly as he remembered his fight with the Yondaime Hokage and gravely wounding the love of his life.

"Tsuchikage-sama," said a man outside the carriage as the Earth Shadow snapped out of his reverie.

"What is it," asked the man, obviously irritated at being disturbed.

Instead of answering though the Jonin merely nodded forward towards where the road had been blocked by a single man. Of course it wasn't just any man but one who was just as hated in Iwa as the Yondaime Hokage himself. The only person capable of garnering such hate was the one who had taught the Yondaime and helped to shape him into the man of legend and nightmare.

"Jiraiya," growled the Tsuchikage as he laid eyes on the imposing figure of the Gama-Sennin.

The carriage had already halted and the Tsuchikage moved silently out of the carriage and started towards where Jiraiya was standing with his arms crossed. The closer he got to the man though the more he could tell that he wasn't alone, as many had first thought. Behind the man were three Shinobi of Konoha, each looked to be nothing but a child. His men could obviously see them now as well since many had started whispering to each other.

Before the Tsuchikage got too close Jiraiya turned his head and whispered something to the figure behind him. The one whose entire head seemed to be covered by something. The figured nodded its head as Jiraiya moved forward to meet the Tsuchikage. When the two were ten feet apart Jiraiya broke into a wide smile as he greeted the man jovially.

"How goes it Tsuchikage-dono?" asked Jiraiya happily.

The man had to keep from scowling at the man as he nodded his head politely. After all it wouldn't do to attack such a well known Konoha Shinobi within the borders of Fire Country. Not to mention that he knew nothing of the three Shinobi that behind the Toad Sage.

"To what do I owe the honor," asked the Iwa leader while forcing a smile.

"Oh nothing much. I was just in the area and thought it would be nice to catch up with an old friend," answered the white-haired man with a small smile.

Even though he seemed cordial enough, the Tsuchikage couldn't help but hide a shiver at the small threat and knowing undertone sent by Jiraiya. After all it was commonly known to many that Jiraiya was a master spy and had a way of getting important information when people tried to hide it.

'_I swear the more you try to keep something a secret the quicker he finds it out,'_ cursed the Earth leader.

"And what of your three young friends," asked the Iwa leader instead while nodding towards the members of Team 10.

Jiraiya chuckled slightly at the man's question. Before he answered though he turned and nodded to the one in the middle once again. That seemed to be some sign as the person turned his back slightly and started to remove the head covering.

"Well the one in the middle there _really_ wanted to meet you. It seems that you two have some history with each other," answered Jiraiya as Naruto uncovered his brilliant blond hair to the word.

That was enough to cause a small double take by the Earth Shadow. Seeing the figure turn around to face the group of Shinobi while making some very distinct hand seals; seals that made the man's eyes widen is recognition.

In a surge of chakra and blast of smoke the ground shuddered as a massive burden was placed on it. A deep bellow resounded through the forest as Iwa Shinobi hurried to back away from whatever had just happened. The seasoned Shinobi, the veterans of a war long past braced themselves for a fight. Their fight or flight instinct though soon kicked in when a large pipe being held by a massive red webbed hand became visible.

With the sun at his back, Naruto was revealed to be standing on top of the Toad Boss Gamabunta with his hair shining. It didn't take long for the Tsuchikage to realize what had just happened, and who he was now staring at. To add to his shock though Jiraiya was still standing with his arms crossed while smiling at the man who had made it to his position of power by claiming to have ended the line of the Yondaime.

"That Tsuchikage-_dono_ is one of my newest students. Kazama Uzumaki Naruto, son of the Yondaime Hokage Kazama Arashi," stated Jiraiya while still smiling like a mad man.

* * *

_**Tsunade**_

Not far from Konoha Tsunade and others watched the large cloud of smoke and dust rise into the sky. Those that could feel chakra and who was in that area knew what was going on or at least had an understanding of what might happen. It was because of that Rikimaru snapped at the Samurai and other guards and told them to continue on to Konoha.

Ayame landed besides the man as he watched the procession continue on beneath his tree branch. She wanted to talk to him and ask him about how his plan seemed to be going but he seemed to not care about anything else at the moment. It was only when she was about to jump away that she received an answer to her unspoken question.

"Jiraiya-sama figured out my plan and decided to handle it in his own way. While I would have wanted something a little more discreet, I suppose a flamboyant introduction won't hurt things too much," was all Rikimaru said before he jumped ahead and started to follow the group.

Tsunade and Shizune were busy riding with the Daimyo and talking about the upcoming events. It also allowed the two, Tsunade and the Daimyo, time to make bets on the outcome of the matches they would be able to see, both knowing about what was likely to occur sometime during the Finals.

That though was not the only thing the two talked about. One topic of heated debate was what they would do in regards to Naruto and his birthright once they got to Konoha. The one thing that they could agree upon was that it should be revealed to the leaders of Konoha so that he would have a chance at a better life from then on. What they couldn't agree upon was letting everyone else know; even though it was likely to leak when they told the Council and other Village Leaders.

"I say we let everyone know as part of the announcement when the Finals start," stated Tsunade as she crossed her arms under her ample chest.

The Daimyo sighed lightly at the behavior of the woman, since she had been at it since they left the capital. He could understand her reasons, after all who wouldn't want to do something for a loved one they thought was dead?

"Tsunade, I understand your desire to make amends with Naruto-kun, but revealing his heritage so soon may not be wise," countered the man as he took in a deep breath.

"I understand but you must know that Rikimaru planned on using Naruto to try to deter the forces of Iwa. If Iwa knows, then why not go ahead and let everyone else present know," questioned Tsunade.

"Pardon me Daimyo-sama, but she does have a point. One of the greatest threats to Naruto-kun is going to know about it so why not allow Konoha to know? At least then they might flock at the chance to defend him," added in Shizune eagerly.

Oh how he hated being double teamed by two women. It didn't help that his wife seemed to be leaning towards the side of Tsunade and everyone else. A look out of the corner of his eye and he could see her nodding slightly in agreement with the two Kunoichi. It was times like this that he wished his brother, Lord Shijimi, could have become Daimyo of the Land of Fire instead of a minor Lord.

"I wish Rikimaru would have cleared that with me beforehand," mumbled the man as he hung his head in defeat.

It was true, with Iwagakure finding out it would only be a matter of time before word spread across the lands. Oto and Suna were bound to find out once it was revealed to Iwa. From there it probably would be best to let all of Konoha know that there was an heir to the Kazama clan still alive.

"You know dear as his Godmother she has a responsibility to live up to now. I can understand why Tsunade-chan would want to do this since it would be a start to correcting the wrongs of Naruto-kun's life," added Tsuki, the wife of the Daimyo.

"They do have a point sir. Doing this will allow us to right the wrongs done to Naruto in his youth," added Rikimaru from the small window of the carriage, nearly startling the occupants.

"Rikimaru what have I said about doing that," questioned the Daimyo while frowning slightly at the man's actions.

Instead of a vocal answer he received a nod of a head before the man jumped away once again to continue his patrol. Having been relieved of that issue, the Daimyo turned back to his fellow occupants and noticed their awaiting faces.

"You are going to do this regardless of what I say, correct Tsunade," asked the man.

Seeing the woman firmly nod her head, he knew he had little choice but to back the suggestion. He owed Arashi a great deal and would do anything to continue to support the man even if it was his son he now supported.

"And you are sure none of this will be detrimental to Naruto," asked the man again while observing the duo across from him and his wife.

"He has known about his family for some time now. Instead of it going to his head as it might with some, it has only made him work harder to live up to the legacy. Not only that but because of what happened to his mother and father he has driven himself to become the best to protect those of Konoha and whoever may need protection," stated Tsunade firmly.

"With all things I suppose there are the good and the bad. I can only hope that the good continue to outweigh the bad in this case," relented the man finally.

He didn't need to look up to see the smiling faces of Shizune and Tsunade as they silently celebrated their minor victory.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

Izumo and Kotetsu were enjoying their time away from the Hokage's tower and soaking up the time they could spend on Gate duty. Of course it wasn't as boring as it would have been during every other time of the year. That was one of the reasons why they were currently enjoying the time at the gate. They got to see first hand the beautiful wives of some of the Lords and Daimyos. Not only that but some had decided to bring their lovely daughters along with them who would have been easy pickings for a skilled flirt or a not so skilled one.

Right now they were working with Inuzuka Tsume as they inspected carriages and such to ensure the ongoing safety of Konoha. Their current inspection was being done on the group escorting the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. While probably not necessary, they were told to treat everyone equally when inspecting the carts and goods brought it.

So of course the trio, or quartet if you included Kuromaru, were surprised when Tsunade, Shizune, and Ton-Ton stepped out of the Daimyo's personal carriage.

"Tsunade-sama no one told us you were coming," said Izumo, nearly shouting it out in his surprise.

The three humans were quick to snap to a salute and bow to the Sennin as she walked up to them. That though didn't mean Tsume and Kuromaru were slacking off and not trying to discern if she was the real Tsunade or a very good Henge or Genjutsu.

"Would you quit with the formalities already. I just happened to be in the capital with the Daimyo training some students and decided to accompany him here," answered Tsunade as she waved off the bows.

"I thought that you had forsaken teaching anyone," asked Tsume suspiciously.

She knew some of Tsunade's history and what made her leave Konoha. At least she _thought_ she knew the reasons why Tsunade had left Konoha. What she and most of Konoha knew was just the public knowledge. Few if any outside of Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and one or two others knew about her connection to Kanami and Arashi.

"These were some special students Tsume-chan. They came from Konoha for special training instead of taking part in the Chunin Exams," answered Tsunade, knowing it would give them all the information they needed to figure things out.

Without saying much else she nodded towards the open gates of Konoha and towards the approaching figure of the Sandaime and his former teammates. The three were there of course to meet the Daimyo, seeing Tsunade standing there was a surprise to them; except the Sandaime.

Pleasantries were exchanged, and the Daimyo's procession was allowed to pass. The Daimyo of course was going to be allowed to rest before a grand dinner later that night with all of the visiting dignitaries.

It wasn't until an hour later that the next big procession was spotted moving towards the front gate of Konoha. This time though they were preceded by a Shinobi that had not been seen around Konoha for nearly an entire month.

"Shikamaru," asked Izumo as the Nara landed and presented his travel papers, and those of the Iwa caravan that was coming towards Konoha.

"Nara Shikamaru, reporting from scout and escort duty. The other members of my team are currently escorting the procession from the Land of Earth here along with Jiraiya of _Densetsu no Sannin_," reported the young Nara while standing and saluting the two Chunin and Clan leader.

The three were somewhat shocked at first at the news and the papers the boy carried. Nothing though surprised them more then hearing that the team was with the Daimyo of Earth, Tsuchikage, and Jiraiya. With a nod from Tsume though Kotetsu was off to get the Hokage so that he could meet his counterpart from Iwagakure. After that Shikamaru merely stood at the gate resting against the small guard post as he awaited the caravan to breach the tree-line.

Half an hour later the Sandaime was standing at the gate waiting along with the others as the first sign of the Iwagakure caravan broke through the tree-line and made their way towards Konoha's gate. In the lead was Hinata walking as proudly as possible given the circumstances.

It was also easy for the group to spot Jiraiya when he came out of the trees, towering over all others in the group. What confused them though was that he was at the end of the procession and that Naruto wasn't easily seen by the group. It wasn't until Shikamaru nodded towards one of the more heavily guarded carriages that they noted where Naruto was; right by the Tsuchikage's carriage.

The scene nearly caused the Sandaime's eyes to bug out, since he was one of the few present who knew how dangerous that situation could be. It wasn't just him though, since Shikamaru's travel through the village didn't go unnoticed by those who had been looking for him.

Anko, Rin, Zabuza, Haku, Meizu, Gozu, Kakashi, and Iruka were all watching the event unfold and reacted differently upon noticing where Naruto happened to be. Some were angry, mainly Anko and Rin, when they noticed that Naruto was walking with the murderer of his family. At the same time though, they couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation.

Zabuza was nearly in tears at the fact that Naruto was now guarding one of the men he seemed to hate the most. It would be like Zabuza having to play body guard to the Mizukage after the things that had occurred between them. Though if he knew Sarutobi as well as he thought, he wouldn't put is past the old monkey to do just that one day.

Haku and Iruka were more worried about Naruto's well being should things go wrong. For Iruka it was like watching his little brother dance around in a den of bears while a trumpet blowing. He was taunting some very dangerous creatures, and at any second they could snap to life and attack. For Haku it was watching her only living family walking along a rope suspended over an abyss. One wrong step and he could be sent hurling into the darkness below. In this case though the darkness would be the opposite of the "purity" that was Naruto up to this point in his life.

Meizu and Gozu shared the same thoughts of Zabuza, and found it particularly funny that the boy would be sent to watch one of the people who hated Konoha the most. Not to mention what they knew of his life and family, and it made for a very interesting situation.

It was only when the Tsuchikage and a select group of Jonin approached the Hokage that Anko and Rin made their appearance behind the Sandaime sporting a toothy smile; ignoring the growls of Kuromaru and Tsume.

"It is always a pleasure Hokage-sama," greeted the man while trying to keep his temper under control.

During the last few days he had never been more furious, except possibly when the main source of all his anger was still alive. Not only did he find himself in the presence of the son of the man he still curses at night, but the two he had hopefully killed that same night. It was as if a God was frowning down upon him and making him revisit the sins of his past.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

That night in Konoha a certain house was filled with laughter as family and friends were reunited for the first time in months. The house of Kazama was filled with cheers as Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata congratulated Choji on making it into the Chunin exams.

Laughter echoed through the small forest surrounding the house as Anko mentioned Haku's "boyfriend". It only served to infuriate Zabuza more as Naruto asked if the spandex wearing duo had tried to talk Haku into wearing one of their green suits. While saying she would never wear one of the atrocious green ones, she had mentioned looking for one in an icy blue color.

The party lasted long into the night though with each person talking about the events that had transpired while the others were absent. Of course there were some things that could be said, and others that had to be kept secret. One such thing was watching the party from a tree not far from the house as he remembered a time when he had spent such joyous times inside with the original owners of the cottage.

"I really wish you were here sensei. You and Kaa-san would have loved how Naruto-kun turned out," mused Obito as he watched the family and friends enjoy themselves.

"You don't have to hide forever Obito-sensei," stated Naruto as he appeared beside the man and watched his Kage Bunshin chat with Haku.

Obito smiled at the alter user and shook his head playfully. He didn't even notice when the boy had pulled the switch with the clone, or conjured up the Bunshin. He had to hand it to Naruto, he knew how to change catch people by surprise when he wanted to.

"I know Naruto but it still hurts having to watch from the shadows. I can only imagine how much pain Rin has gone through. More so when she looks at Kakashi and sees me staring back at her now… If only the plan had gone according to plan then she might have been spared that gruesome scene," admitted Obito as he removed his hood to allow his hair to catch the wind.

"When this is all over there are going to be more then a few surprises for everyone involved," added Naruto as he thought about the revelations that would be coming out soon.

Obito nodded in agreement as he watched everything with a keen eye. Even though he could take part in the festivities, he wanted to memorize each and every detail of what was going on. He didn't care how creepy it might seem because it was the only way he could enjoy time with his friends, for the time being.

"You know it was kind of strange," muttered Naruto from beside the Uchiha.

The one-eyed man looked at his blond student, slightly confused at what the boy could be talking about. They had sat there is relative silence for nearly thirty minutes after all, and neither had spoken a word after their initial conversation.

"During the entire time we were training there was always one thing I looked forward to. No matter how much I got my ass kicked I looked forward to going to sleep at night," admitted Naruto as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

A small amount of understanding came to Obito as Naruto revealed this. He had heard some stories about another little gift that Naruto may have, but he had only passed it off as vivid dreams.

"Each and every night I dreamed about the things going on around the country, mainly with my precious people. I saw Lee trying to sing to Haku-chan in the middle of the night, and Meizu and Gozu chase him away in their boxers. I saw Sasuke-teme fighting Orochimaru and being given the curse seal… I also saw nee-chan fight Orochimaru and nearly kill herself to take him out," whispered Naruto as he laughed slightly at the first, and then started to rub his eyes with the last one.

Obito remained silent as he let Naruto open up, and just pour out what ever emotions he felt from his dream visions. Having read the reports about the incidents he knew he could no longer just pass them off as vivid dreams, or coincidences any more.

"You know Naruto, you should go and talk to Anko about that… I know how much it probably bothers you… At times I would swear that I have seen that I don't remember doing. I once mentioned it to Tsunade-sama and she told me something rather interesting," added Obito once Naruto had finished his little story about the dreams.

"She told me that it might be possible that I'm still some how linked to the Sharingan that I gave Kakashi. I laughed at first, much like you probably did with your dreams. As time went on though I accepted it for what it was. I realized that it was one of the few ways I could keep an "eye" on Kakashi-teme even though I couldn't be there in person," finished Obito as he slowly started to rub the area being mentioned.

"I'll probably talk to the Teme about it once everything is settled down, and get a few laughs while I'm at it, because I've got to admit some of the situations were pretty funny. Others I'm sure he could have used a shoulder to lean on, but had no one there to support him. I suppose though what I'm trying to say is that Anko could use all the support she can get right now. Nearly committing suicide like that has a way of shocking even the stoutest individual," amended the Uchiha as he looked down to see Anko moving to the roof of the small cottage hidden in the forest.

He didn't have to look to tell Naruto had jumped from the tree and was making his way to Anko. He could already see the boy moving beside the woman as she settled down on the roof. He had to turn though when the woman broke down and wrapped her arms around her little brother and started to break down sobbing.

'_The kid just seems to be a natural with distraught females. I don't know how the hell I'm going to handle Rin when she finds out about me,'_ thought Obito as he moved away to offer the pair some privacy.

* * *

_**A/N**_

Here we are, July 11th. Well, like I said in "_**Life of**_…" I suck at multitasking, and this is partly a result of it. Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I know it probably isn't up to par with previous chapters, but in an effort to try to make things faster, I may start limiting the chapter lengths to 20-30 pages.

Chunin Exams finals coming up, so that means the things many authors fear, fight scenes. Since I didn't do anything for the prelims, I feel obligated to at least do some of the matches for the finals. Because of that, it might take a little more time to get it out, more so with the big fights coming up in _**"Life of Uzumaki Naruto"**_. It should not however take 3 months to produce.


	12. Trick or Treat?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of _Naruto_, s-_CRY-ed_, or _Tenchu_. I only use them for writing this story.

'_Thoughts'_

"Speech"

"Radio"

"**Demons/Inner self"**

'_**Demon Thoughts'**_

**A/N:** I know it has been some time, and that this is long over due. I'm sorry about the delay and maintain what I said last chapter. I suck at multitasking. Well, it didn't take 3 months to make this chapter… It ended up taking nearly twice that. I suck, I know.

* * *

_**Trick or Treat?**_

Why was it so hard to say something when you had a woman crying into your chest? Was it the fact that the one currently doing it was someone who had become a sister to him? Could the fact that she practically tried to commit suicide be what left him speechless?

A number of reasons popped up as Naruto looked down at the top of Anko's head. He could still hear her mumbled apologies as she buried her face in his chest. They were faint but he could hear the anguish in each and every word she said. Even as she told him what had happened he felt a knot in his stomach up until the source of her pain was finally revealed.

'_No. It's because she is normally so calm. I've never seen her hysterical before,'_ decided Naruto and he wraps his arms around the broken woman.

"I'm so sorry Naruto… I tried to leave you so soon after finding you. I… I don't know what I was thinking," cried Anko as she gripped Naruto's jacket and buried her face further into his chest.

"Nee-chan," whispered Naruto as he tried to lift her face up to see him. It took some doing but he finally managed to get the Kunoichi to look up at him.

"I can't imagine how it must have felt to come face to face with that bastard. I… I think I know what was going through your head though. I felt something similar when I was training with Ero-Sennin. I wanted to quit and give up all hope. He had beaten me into the ground so badly it hurt to move a finger," whispered Naruto as he thought back to his training with Jiraiya over the past month.

Even now he could feel the bite of a spear digging into his side. The burning of a sword as it cut into his stomach. He had been beaten to within an inch of his life during the first week there. All in order to force Naruto to take control of things again. To get him to bring back that healing factor Kyubi had once given him.

"Finally I wanted to give up but right when I was about to let go of everything Kyubi came to me. He told me that he was going to enjoy ravaging the land. That he was going to finish what he had started when I was born."

Anko snapped her head up now to get a clearer look at Naruto and tried to understand what he had just said. It should have been impossible for the Kyubi to break free from the seal it was placed in. At least that is what she had been told several times before, and what has been said to anyone who had questioned the Kyubi's imprisonment.

"Seems that when I activated my Alter it gave the Kyubi a foothold to use to try to break free. That was why I didn't heal as fast as I used to. When it started talking about the things it was going to do once it was free I got scared and pissed. Some how I managed to cut the Kyubi off from the outside world. I destroyed its influence and reestablished control because I wanted to live. I wanted to continue to live and protect everyone from it."

Naruto paused now as he looked down into Anko's tear filled eyes. The woman he saw now was different from the one he had first met. Ever since he knew her she had never shown him this much emotion. It didn't seem right for a person as strong as her to be so fragile.

"I can't say that I'm not sad about what almost happened. I'd be stupid to not be angry about it. I just hope that next time Nee-chan you fight until the very end without ever giving up. That's what I'm going to do with Kyubi and anyone else that gets in my way. The only time I'll stop fighting is when my body is dead and buried," admitted Naruto while he gripped Anko's shoulders tightly and looked into her eyes.

"So promise me Nee-chan that you will never give up like that again! Don't you ever try to leave us without a fight! Just like the night they came for Ka-san! You two didn't give up then so don't you ever give up again!" Naruto nearly shouted as he shook his sister with tears running down his face.

She could do nothing but break from his hold to bury her head in his chest again while nodding her head in agreement. If he could fight off a demon she could continue fighting.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

Elsewhere in Konoha a man slipped through the dark in hopes of carrying out his assignment. As part of his mission he did not carry any items that might identify where he was from. He was one of the many people from his country trained in blending in with the culture of Hi no Kuni. That meant that he looked and sounded like he belonged to the country. The only way a person could tell is if they examined his body closely, and that would only happen if he ended up on an examination table.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind the man continued his meandering walk around Konoha. He had to relay a message from his leader and see how their cohorts would react to the news. Just knowing what the message contained caused the man to shiver in fear as the old stories from his childhood came back to him.

Stories of the cursed man who could take out entire platoons of Shinobi and Samurai before they knew what hit them. Tales of a man that mothers and fathers told their children about in order to get them to listen. A man that was viewed as the boogey man in the Land of Earth. That was until the current Tsuchikage had dealt with him. Even after his death though the name or Kazuma Arashi was spoken in hushed tones, as if saying his name out loud would cause him to rise from the grave.

Now it seemed like that had come to pass, not _that_ man but something close enough, his son.

The man paused in a side street as late night drinkers stumbled past. With the sudden increase in Konoha's security there was no telling if these men were actually drunks or posing as late night security for the village.

That was another concern for the leader of Iwa, the presence of two of Konoha's Legendary Sannin. Sure working along side the Sound and the third one held certain advantages before, but now that the children of Konoha had come home to roost… Things looked to become more difficult then they had been before.

The man from Iwa started to grow impatient as the men stopped at one of the trash cans that could be found on every corner of Konoha. One bent over it and the sound of vomiting could be heard as he emptied his stomach. His friend just stood their laughing as he pulled a bottle from his pocket and offered the sick one a drink.

"Konoha disgusts me the more I stay here," muttered the man as he watched the two residents drink their swill.

"I was never too fond of Iwa either except for the sunrises," stated someone from behind the man.

Before he could turn around he was seeing stars as he was sent to the ground by fist to the head. Looking up from the ground he could see the one of the people his country had cursed to death several times. The main reason they cursed this man so much was because of the fact he had a hand in molding Kazama Arashi into the legend he had become.

"Sorry but Konoha doesn't take too kindly to spies who wear out their welcome," added Jiraiya as he lifted a foot and quickly slammed it down on the man's head, using the metal on the bottom to knock the man out.

The two drunks straightened up when they saw the man fall to the ground and were running over by the time Jiraiya had rendered him unconscious. All signs of their previous behavior had vanished as they helped pull the man into the dark alley.

"Good job Kotetsu and Izumo. Now get this guy over to Ibiki and see what we can find out," ordered Jiraiya as he checked his footwear for any signs of blood.

'_Can't let the ladies see me walking around with blood on me,'_ thought the big man as he finished his check and smiled as he thought about getting back to the party.

* * *

_**Hyuga**_

It was the day before the exams and the tension could already be felt in the air as many were put on edge by the events that would be unfolding in the day to come. The one thing that held true for everyone though was that the next few days would change everyone's life.

For Hyuga Hinata it was a day for her to spend time with her family, even if she didn't want to.

She had hoped to avoid seeing her little sister, Hanabi. The young Hyuga had started to act colder towards her older sister since she started to gain more of her Father's respect and attention. Since the girl had been the apple of his eye for years now she seemed to take it wrong when Hiashi had started to take some time out to talk with Hinata about her day and team.

Then there was also Neji who had started to act colder towards the Main house member and that was before the first attack on his team. After that attack he had become crueler in the way he dealt with her and any member of her team. On one such instance he had nearly delivered a blow that could have ended her career as a Kunoichi, if note her life. It would have connected had Naruto not stepped in the way and Shikamaru grabbed him with his shadow.

All with a smirk on his face as he gazed into her frightened eyes.

That was one of the many things that pushed her during the month away from Konoha. It wasn't just the fact that she was with Naruto or the fact they had a highly dangerous and sensitive mission. It was the fact that she would have to protect herself from her kinsman and very likely display some of her newfound skills to the Elders of the clan upon her return.

There was never any doubt in her mind that they would test her. She wasn't taking part in the Chunin Exam, unlike her cousin in the Branch house. It was a slap in the face to the arrogant old farts that had more then enough pride for the entire clan.

Hinata smiled as she thought about the things she had learned. She was a Kunoichi and an assassin. Playing fair was no longer in her vocabulary.

With that in mind she made her way to the dining room to eat with her Father and Sister. She tried being polite by smiling fondly at Hanabi but was given a glare in return. Upon smiling and bowing slightly to her Father she was given a nod while he frowned in the direction of Hanabi.

Of course another small bump in the road for Hinata was trying to break the hard shell that Hanabi had constructed around herself. It was from all of the private lessons from some of the more traditional Hyugas, lessons she had failed at when she was that age.

'_A Hyuga should never show emotion, to show emotion is to show weakness,'_ thought Hinata as she thought about one of the primary teachings of the Hyuga clan.

'_Emotions are not a weakness but true strength. Emotions are what help us stand up and continue fighting even when we are beaten. They are what have allowed Konoha to survive and thrive. Without the Will of Fire, Konoha would have fallen long ago,'_ amended Hinata as she slowly started to eat.

Silence settled in over the table as the trio calmly took in their morning meal. It felt very strange to Hinata to be eating in silence. She had grown used to talking with others during her time away. Be it Shikamaru, Shizune, Obito, Tsunade, or even Ton-ton she would always find herself taking part in some form of conversation during her meals. It was with a soft sigh that she looked between her Father and Sister and finally made up her mind.

"I hear that you were one of the Genin that helped to escort the Tsuchikage and his caravan to Konoha," said Hiashi just as Hinata was about to open her mouth. She quickly snapped it shut and looked up at her father who was now smiling in amusement and with what she had been slowly started to see more of, pride.

"It was merely a coincidence that we were able to escort them here," answered Hinata, well aware of the glare that was being sent to her by Hanabi.

"Nonsense. Even if you view it as nothing, it is still something that will be talked about by the villager and the clan. Just being seen traveling with Jiraiya has done a great deal for you Hinata," countered her father as he looked away and took a small sip of his tea.

While she enjoyed the newfound interest from her Father, she couldn't help but color at the words of praise. It was partially true, she didn't view it as anything praise worthy. She was terrified the entire time they were escorting the group from Iwa. If not for Jiraiya she was sure that they all would have been killed the second they had revealed themselves. That didn't count the fact that the second they saw Naruto every Iwa Shinobi released a mixture of killing intent and fear towards Naruto.

Hinata had to fight to keep from shaking the entire time and Shikamaru wasn't much better. Then Jiraiya had to put Naruto as the personal guard for the Tsuchikage.

"It might seem like an amazing accomplishment but we were all terrified the entire time. Naruto-kun…"

Hiashi fully understood what she meant. The irony of Naruto being the guard of the Tsuchikage might be lost on the few who didn't know of the connection between the two. He could only imagine the anger and hate that the two must have felt for each other during the trip.

"I understand. Speaking of Naruto, I must be going to a meeting that Sandaime-sama has called. From what I've heard the Daimyo is supposed to be there as well; it must truly be something of great importance to call in all clan leaders," said Hiashi as he stood up and excused himself from the table.

Hinata stayed in her spot silently as her father left the room. She could already feel the eyes of her sister drilling into her as they waited for Hiashi to leave the room. Now that they were alone it became a game to see who would break the silence between them. This had become a regular occurrence now that Hiashi had started to pay more attention to Hinata.

"Neji-san will defeat you," stated Hanabi firmly as she looked at her sister with what she felt to be piercing eyes.

Hinata smiled gently behind her cup of tea as she let the aroma wash over her. This was soon followed by a small sip of the lemongrass tea before she set the cup down and stared back at her sister.

"Perhaps he will but I do not expect to go down as easily as I once did. I am no longer the Hinata you once knew. I've come to accept several things about the life I now lead, and I am no longer afraid of doing what needs to be done to protect myself. Should Neji wish to attack me or a member of my team he may regret the action," answered Hinata finally as she moved to stand.

"IMPOSSIBLE! He has some how gained the sacred techniques of the Main house! Techniques that the likes of you could never hope to achieve. If he was to use them on you or the fools you call friends you would be killed!"

Once again Hinata just smiled at her sister while trying to fight the shiver that had gone down her back. She had suspected he was working on the Kaiten; having seen the marks of the technique at the training grounds. If he had learned others…

'_This just means that I made the right choice by describing some of the moves to Naruto-kun and Shikamaru,'_ thought Hinata as she accepted the information she has just gained.

"You may be right Hanabi-chan, but the fight is never over until one of the fighters stops moving. Neji may cause some damage but I do not doubt my ability or my team's ability to deal with what ever he may bring to our next confrontation."

Hanabi seemed to seethe as Hinata walked out of the room with another smile on her face. She had scored a direct hit in breaking the shell that Hanabi had been forced to create. By goading her and angering the younger Hyuga she had managed to make her sister open up just a little. It was a small victory but still a victory.

* * *

_**Nara**_

His day had started off perfectly. It was partly cloudy with the sun peaking out every so often. The temperature was just right, enough so that he could sleep outside on the roof without feeling any discomfort. A gentle breeze that carried the scent of the herd up to him through his open window.

Then his mother kicked his door open and sent him careening out of his bed.

'_This is probably going to be MY fault for not coming home right away yesterday. I just know she is going to yell about not letting her know I was home sooner,'_ thought the Nara as he pulled himself up and untangled himself from the sheets.

"Shika-kun Choji is here," declared his mom after smiling at his annoyed look.

The statement caused him to pause at the mental tired he was about to unleash and look at his mom stunned. Out of all the things he was expecting from her that was the most unexpected.

He had left a pile of clothes outside his door, dirty and worn sandals by the door. Never came by the day before to say he was home. Came home late at night possibly drunk off his ass, how or why he couldn't remember. In short he had done several things she frowned on and didn't seem to be getting scolded for it.

'_I have to be dreaming. The only time she has been this nice was when Naruto visited,'_ thought the boy as he looked at his mom wide-eyed and open mouthed.

Instead of an answer from Yoshino he was given nothing but a smile as she turned away and yelled out to Choji that he was up. With a grunt he followed his mother down the stairs and to his childhood friend.

"Come on Choji, lets talk outside," mumbled the Nara as he ignored his sandals and continued on out to the porch, his mother trying to smother her laughter the entire time.

"You look kind of different Shika," said Choji finally as they sat on a set of swings, opposite of each other.

"Ah, I feel and look the same, just me though. This training trip was probably worst then anything Anko-sensi could come up with, and more like something that madman Gai-sensi would come up with."

Choji laughed at the mention of the two. He knew Anko could go overboard when she wanted to. He had seen the training courses they ran and her love of actual weapons for avoidance training. The stories he had heard about Gai from Shikamaru made the man seem crazier then Anko when it came to physical training. Who would ask his Genin to pull boulders the size of a carriage?

"I guess its one of those things you can't talk about yet, huh?"

"I really wish I could Choji but until Hokage-sama says we can, we have to keep where we were a secret. It's likely that after the Chunin exams we'll be allowed to talk. Enough about us though, what about you guys? How'd you do in the Chunin Exams so far and what were they like," asked Shikamaru as he tried to get off the subject of their month long excursion.

"Alright, I get it," mumbled the Akimichi as he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small bag of chips.

"Well the first part of the exam…"

The two had talked for nearly an hour when Choji stopped his stories and his mood seemed to darken. It was odd to Shikamaru since the boy hadn't done that when he described Ibiki and the first test. He had gotten to the first night in the Forest of Death for Anko's part of the exam when he paused and started to reflect on what happened.

"Shika I don't know what happened but someone separated me from Sakura and Sasuke. When that happened I had to fight this giant snake off. That was hard enough but then I started hearing explosions from where I thought Sasuke and Sakura were. I started running over there as soon as I could and it looked like a battlefield. I saw another giant snake hover over Sakura and Sasuke with some Grass-nin standing over them."

While Choji was talking Shikamaru was doing what he did best, thinking. He could guess who the Grass-nin was since there were only two known people to be able to summon and control snakes. Anko would never do this so that left Orochimaru. If this was enough to turn Choji solemn when thinking about it then he could only guess that Orochimaru had managed to place the Curse Seal on the Uchiha.

"… I tried fighting the guy but s/he managed to dodge everything I could throw. Finally s/he just sent the snake at me. After being slapped by the tail and sent flying into a tree he seemed to focus back on Sasuke. I was slowly blacking out but I could hear Sakura yelling for Sasuke to fight. I think she even said something about your team but I might have been hearing things. The only thing I heard for sure was Sakura and Sasuke gasping when the guy tore off his face before I blacked out. Shika I don't know what happened after that but when I woke up a little while later Sasuke was sleeping and seemed like he had one hell of a fever and some strange mark on him," finished Choji as he looked down at his lap.

Once the pleasantly plump ninja had finished his story the two sat there. One was shaking in anger as he fought to keep away the fear he had felt. It was probably the first time he had ever brushed death and managed to escape. The escape though was not due to his skills but because he wasn't worth the time of the person he was fighting.

The entire time he had fought the man he was being mocked and laughed as he hit nothing but air, trees, and dirt.

Shikamaru for the most part sat there reflecting on what he had learned. Team 7 had encountered Orochimaru and Sasuke had been marked with the Curse Seal. There was a part of his mind that focused on this detail and started to apply that knowledge to the mission that they had been given. It only took him a few seconds before he started to kick himself for completely ignoring the major problem that his oldest friend was facing.

"Choji there isn't much you could expect to do against this guy. I can't say much but none of us could ever hope to do much to him if he was serious."

The Akimichi couldn't help but ball up his melon sized fist as he heard what the Nara said. It stung him to hear that voiced aloud. He had tried telling himself that over and over that no one could have done anything. Yet there was a side in him that could only feel depressed at hearing the news.

"I… I know but it doesn't help. I trained my ass off to become stronger. I worked so hard that I passed out in the training fields at times. I watched as everyone else seemed to get stronger and yet I just seemed to be staying the same," confessed the boy as he fought to keep his tears back.

'_So that's the problem. I can't say that I blame him after some of the things I've seen Naruto do. I'm on his team and I feel that way, even after all the training I just went through.'_

"I know the feeling Choji. I feel the same way. I think we all feel that way at times, even the ones we look up to. I know Naruto feels it every day he wakes up and goes to bed. We are all looking for a way to comfort ourselves and assure that we have gotten stronger. You HAVE gotten stronger Choji. If you hadn't you wouldn't be fighting in the finals tomorrow. After all only a few of our class can say they advanced to the finals."

Choji had been looking down at the ground watching his tears soak into the dirt. He knew he could count on his friend to try and cheer him up. Still, hearing the person he grew up with admit he felt the same was a source of comfort for him. If Shikamaru said that Naruto felt the same way he would believe him. He had no reason to ever doubt the words of the Nara.

"Yeah… I don't think you would have enjoyed the Exam, at least not the old you," answered Choji as he looked up at his dark-haired friend with a smile forming.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

After everything that had gone on last night one would think he'd sleep in. He had every right to after the emotional roller coaster he had gone through. Learning that his sister had tried to commit suicide shook him up to his very core.

Yet here he was assaulting an innocent log in one of the many training grounds around Konoha.

Sleep didn't come to him after he had returned to the party with his Sister. He could only think about everything he had been told. His mind went back to the mission he had been given and realized that he may actually have to carry it out. Orochimaru had marked Sasuke and would be coming for the Uchiha or trying to attract him to his side. It was something that Naruto could never allow. At the same time he had to think about the man who he had escorted to Konoha. A man who had played a role in the death of his mother and father.

'_Who in their right mind would ask someone to watch the person who KILLED HIS FAMILY?'_

With that thought he sunk his fist into the log and watched it explode into thousands of splinters. He yelled out in pain as several shards of wood buried themselves between his knuckles and arm. Slowly he started to pull them out while swearing under his breath and cursing whoever decided to put such soft wood in the training ground logs. Oh yeah this week had been so much fun for him.

It was during this time that he heard the crack of a twig and turned around with a kunai in his bloody hand. Yet he didn't throw it, not knowing exactly who or what the target was. It wouldn't do to accidentally wound a civilian or a fellow Shinobi. By the time he had completed his turn he really DID want to bury his kunai ring deep in the head of his visitor.

"My my I hardly expect the son of the famed Yellow Flash to be surprised so easily," said a man that Naruto had grown to hate. The laugh the man let out only served to deepen the hatred he had felt boiling up.

"What the hell do you want," snarled Naruto as he started to tense and look around for would-be assassins. A man like the Tsuchikage would not come all the way out to a training field for a friendly chat with the son of the most hated man in Iwa history.

Seeing Naruto eye's darting around the clearing only caused the man to laugh again. It was amusing to see the panicked expression wash over the face of a boy who had been so stoic days before. He drew some pleasure of being able to cause such a reaction from him.

"I merely came to thank you for taking such good care of me on our way to Konoha. I understand it must have been hard on you, knowing who I am and what I've done," answered the man.

Truthfully he had no idea if Naruto knew about their past when he had first come to the village. He could only write off the explosive entrance as something orchestrated by the buffoon Jiraiya. The declaration of the boy's heritage could have been something of a bluff to rock the man. Seeing the boy's anger and fear now though gave him chills down his back. The boy knew what he had done and was angry about it. At the same time there seemed to be some fear buried in his mind as well.

"You were lucky you bastard," growled Naruto as he relaxed slightly and tried to reign in his emotions.

"Luck is a part of being a Shinobi my boy."

"And I supposed picking on pregnant women is part of the job as well."

The man laughed lightly, which only seemed to anger Naruto.

"She was close to a high value target. By marrying her, your father assured her demise at the hands of his enemies. If you wish to blame anyone for her death then blame him.

"It should be a lesson to you as well. Anyone you are close to will be a target for your enemies. Enemies that would do anything to get at you for the things you have done. Enemies that would be willing to do anything to get even with the bastard that was your father," continued the man.

Naruto felt a sudden chill overcome him as the man talked. It was something he knew would happen but having it brought up like this made it seem much more dangerous. This man had exploited his pregnant mother to try and kill his father. He had tried to kill the two adopted daughters, his sisters. He was willing to do anything to destroy a target that threatened or crossed him.

Now the man would do the same thing with him. He would go after Shikamaru, Anko, Jiraiya, Haku, Zabuza, Gozu, Meizu, Tsunade, Shizune, Obito, Teuchi, Ayame, Choji, Rin, and Hinata. The faces of all of them flew through his mind as his overactive imagination ran wild. His mind cooked up vile deeds being done to his friends and family, all just to cause him pain. All just to get to him. To lure him into a trap, just like they did with his Father.

Without knowing it his chakra started to build up, chunks of earth and brush started to disintegrate in bits of colored light. He kept his head down as his fingers flexed unnaturally and his hand split apart only to slowly take on a reddish hue and joined under a strange armor.

The Tsuchikage watched in fascination as he witnessed something very few have ever seen before. Memories of a similar event that took place nearly thirteen years ago coming to the forefront of his mind as the transformation finished and left him stunned. If he had any doubts about this boy being the son of Kazama Arashi they were banished as Naruto flexed his clawed fingers and snapped his arm out to the side.

He quickly looked around the clearing, satisfied that he saw several of his personal guard at the ready should the boy try anything.

"So you really are the bastards son. I knew I should have driven a blade into you before you were born," stated the man as calmly as he could. The entire time he focused on the clawed flexing hand and the sharp protrusions sticking out from Naruto's elbow and back.

"Do you know the reason why you lived that night? Have you ever wonders WHY my Father allowed you to be the only person to ever survive his treasured technique?"

The anger Naruto had built up seemed to be gone, causing the Tsuchikage to furrow his brow as the blonde continued to talk. The question he asked was the one thing that kept him up on restless nights. He had wondered about that, but passed it off as the crisis that Konoha was in. Konoha was predictable in that sense. If their village was in danger the leaders would be at the front line to defend it.

"Sure, you know all about the Kyubi attacking. You probably think that is why you're still alive. You'd almost be right in thinking that. I found it amazing that he managed to make it back to Konoha in time to stop the demon from rampaging. Yet at the same time he managed to get my mother here just in time to save me from her womb. Even my Nee-chans were saved by his swift actions after you and your men left."

He bite back a growl as Naruto continued to flex his hand, almost as if it allowed him to release his anger. Ever since he had used this power Naruto had become extremely calm and collected, voice monotonous as he kept his head down.

"You survived because my father PITIED you. He pitied how pathetic you looked as you cowered in fear when he stood over your crumpled body. After seeing what you had been reduced to in his wake he knew the worst thing he could ever do to you was allow you to live," stated the blonde as he brought his face up to grin at the man across from him.

A growl could be heard around the clearing as the Tsuchikage became enraged at the words said by the boy. He DARED to say that he was a man to be pitied? That the only reason he was alive was because of pity?

'_I don't care about the invasion. I will kill this insolent whelp right here and now!'_

The man went to raise his hand to signal the nin he had surrounding Naruto. As his hand came up Naruto crouched down into what could almost be a runner's starting stance, except his legs seemed to be poorly place. If he had known that Naruto normally used this stance to spring towards or above his enemy he might have had second thoughts as he started to drop his hand down.

Before he could do that a coughing sound was heard in the surrounding brush, causing the Iwa-nin to freeze and Naruto to tense up once again. None of them knew if the new arrival was friend or foe, and given Naruto's current predicament he was going to treat them as Foe, at least until he could confirm the identity. All eyes had turned to where the sound came from waiting for the culprit to reveal himself.

The tension only sky rocketed as a wild mane of white hair poked it's way through the dense foliage that kept this field hidden away. Slowly a giant of a man stepped into the clearing with a smile on his face, immune to the tense atmosphere he had walked in on.

"There you are Naruto, I've been looking for you all day," shouted Jiraiya as he walked towards Naruto.

"Oh Tsuchikage-dono I didn't see you there. What brings you to this obscure training field? Surely you didn't come here to just to chat with Naruto," greeted Jiraiya as he finally "noticed" the Iwa-nin on the other end of the clearing. Of course he seemed to be "ignoring" the others around him.

"Jiraiya…"

"Oh, you did come all the way out here just to talk to little Naruto? I'm sorry that I interrupted your little chat but I would hate to think someone would do something likely to cause an international incident," soothed Jiraiya as his gaze hardened as their eyes locked.

His lip started to twitch as he fought to keep a snarl under control. It wouldn't do to cause a scene now that Jiraiya had showed up. Had it just been Naruto it could have been written off as anger getting the best of the boy, such a plot would be much harder to pull now that Jiraiya had showed up. There was only one thing left to do, no matter how much he hated to admit it.

"No, we were just finishing a rather intense discussion about Naruto-kun's family. I was trying to express my sadness for what happened with his family and hoped he held no ill-will towards me or my country. Sadly you know how the youth of today are, always hot-blooded and wearing their emotions on their sleeves."

Jiraiya's lip quirked and Naruto's scowl deepened as the man tried to play off the rather obvious assassination attempt.

"Then why don't we allow him to work his emotions out while I escort you back to the village. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you while you were under the care of Konoha," eased Jiraiya as he started to walk towards the man and coaxed him away from the clearing.

Naruto started to breathe easier as the pair left the clearing and finally allowed himself to release his Alter. He had been more then willing to fight the man and his Shinobi if it meant gaining some form of revenge for his family. Yet at the same time his talk with Anko came to mind as he faced the man down. It would be suicide if he had attacked the Tsuchikage and his men. He might have been able to handle a handful of them but I the end he would have been killed.

'_I can't break my promise to Nee-chan after everything that was said last night.'_

* * *

_**Konoha**_

There were very few places in the Shinobi world could ever boast that they were impenetrable. The few places that tried to claim such things could easily be counted on three fingers. At one point in time the Hokage's tower in Konoha used to own a position on this prestigious list of buildings. That all changed when Naruto broke in and stole a certain scroll from a certain person's office.

Currently several of the greatest men and women of Konoha and the Land of Fire could be found in one of the most tightly guarded rooms in the village. Not only was the Sandaime Hokage present with his entourage, but the leaders of the Hyuga, Aburame, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and the Inuzuka clans were there with their respective escorts. To add to this two of Konoha Greatest Heroes, Tsunade and Jiraiya, were also present. No such meeting could be held without the leader of the Land of Fire presiding over the events that were about to unfold.

So of course nothing could enter the room without being subjected to countless inspections, all without the knowledge of the subject. There would be no place safer that night as the leader of Konoha called to order a meeting that was bound to turn his village upside down.

"I'm sure many of you among the Shinobi and Civilian councils wish to know why this meeting was called. Before we start I would like to welcome our benevolent leader to our humble village for this prestigious occasion. I only hope that our Genin can impress him and other visiting dignitaries in tomorrow's event."

A small round of applause followed this as many bowed to the standing Daimyo who returned the greeting with a slight bow to one of his oldest military leaders.

"At the same time I would like to welcome home my two wayward students. It pleases this old man to see you come home once again. After having training with you and watching you grow I almost feel like I was welcoming my own children back own with open arms. I'm pleased to hear that you will be staying to catch up on old times," added Sarutobi as he hefted a glass towards Jiraiya and Tsunade.

The former blushed as he ducked his head and scratched his neck. It wasn't often that one could embarrass the great Jiraiya but some how his old teacher could manage to do it every time they crossed paths. Tsunade managed to keep her composure, despite being touched by her Sensei's words. After her Grandfather and Granduncle had passed away, Sarutobi Hiruzen had indeed become like a father to her. It made her feel guilty that she had never talked to the man in all of the years she had been gone. Just one of the many things she would have to see to once this was over.

"Now that the pleasantries are over with I surrender control of this meeting to my students, Jiraiya and Tsunade."

As the Sandaime took his seat the two Sannin exchanged glances, debating on who should get the ball rolling on what was bound to be an uphill battle.

With a small sigh and a nod of her head Tsunade stood up and cleared her throat as she looked around the table. She could already spot several Council members that would fight her upcoming declaration tooth and nail. The greatest obstacles would be the former teammates of her Sensei, as well as his "rival" Danzo. They alone would hold nearly half of the council in their pockets. If the three of them did not wish for something then it was very likely that it would never see the light of day. Thankfully though this was mainly a Military matter, greatly reducing the vote of the Civilian council, who were only present out of etiquette.

The Shinobi half of the council would be more then willing to agree with what she was going to propose. The only problem she would have is convincing everyone what she claimed was true.

"I have called for this meeting, with the support of our Daimyo to ask this Council to reveal the heritage of one of Konoha's Shinobi," started Tsunade as she looked around the room and noticed the sudden looks of interest from various people around the table.

"I'm sure many of you may be wondering why this meeting is required and I will assure you that this is not something to waste your time. This meeting has been called have been because revealing the heritage of this Shinobi is bound to shake this village to it's very core and concerns one of Konoha's greatest and least kept secrets," added Tsunade as she narrowed her eyes slightly as certain people sat up a little straighter.

With a clinical eye she could see the sudden signs of stress appear on the faces of Homura, Koharu, and Danzo. Even if the signs were brief she was able to discern just who knew about what she was going to reveal. It should be easy enough to predict what she wanted to talk about. After all only two Shinobi in Konoha had S-Class secrets filed under their names currently. One of them was lucky enough to have several such secrets filed under his name.

Only one of them truly held secrets under his name that could shake up the village.

"Of course there are many secrets in this village and this secret should have kept this Genin safe from harm. Sadly it would seem that many of you sitting here at this table have not done so. You or your predecessors let hatred blind you and so you and many people within this village whispered harsh words to the children. So tell me how it feels to mistreat and snub…"

Before the Slug Sannin could finish the doors to the room were thrown open and several Chunin came running in. The one in the lead was none other then a very panicked Iruka.

"Hokage-sama something horrible has happened!"

* * *

_**Kazama**_

By the time Sarutobi and the other important members of the Council arrived at the scene the fire had already consumed most of the house. The main reason it had done so was because of how dangerous it was to approach the home of the Yondaime Hokage. It was one of those times where security also happened to be what stopped any sort of rescue attempt from being made. It was only with Sarutobi in the lead that any form of rescue could finally make it's way towards the home.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Well, this took longer then I thought it would and I am very sorry it happened like this. I wish I could crank out chapters like I used to but that spark just isn't here right now. I will do my best to try and make sure this doesn't happen again. There isn't much more to say except that and hope that I can keep the readers that I still have.


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